Micro-volunteering day is recognised every year on April 15th. It is an opportunity for people to be encouraged to volunteer some of their time for at least one day of the year to help others and worthy causes. It doesn’t have to mean volunteering an entire day either, it could be an individual completing a small task that helps someone in some way. For example, you could help a neighbour who struggles with completing an everyday task. Micro-volunteering also seems especially important today whilst we are amid the current pandemic we are facing.
At Workspace Technology we take our Corporate Social Responsibility seriously and offer a day’s unpaid leave for every one of our members of staff.
We actively encourage colleagues to help support a local charity or cause, which helps boasts staff morale, helps a worthy cause and provides us with some excellent publicity.
However, it may seem like volunteering is an impossible task at this current moment in time as we are being forced to stay indoors. There are though some things we could still do to help others from a distance that could make a huge impact on their lives and getting through this incredibly difficult time we are all faced with.
As Coronavirus spreads across the country and the world, steps necessary to slow the spread of the disease are being put into place and as a result many people are being asked to stay at home. These include; the elderly, those infected with the virus and at risk and vulnerable people, the very people who often struggle the most.
So how can we volunteer our time during this difficult climate? Below are some simple actions we could all volunteer just a little bit of our time to do but could have a huge impact on someone else’s lives
- I’m sure we all have a stubborn relative or neighbour who can’t face the possibility of being isolated indoors. Ask them what you can do to help and keep in regular contact with them. Often many elderly people already feel isolated so just offering a bit of your time could brighten up their entire day.
- According to the government, panic buying meant that there was over £1 billion worth of food in people’s homes than needed to be. The supermarkets will continue to re-stock and the government has said we will not run out of food. So, if you do have anything spare you could donate, call your local foodbank. Even the smallest donation would be gladly received.
- Charity runs are still going ahead but with social distancing in mind. Charities rely on donations to survive and carry out vital work. So people who complete charity runs are still being encouraged to do so. If you run a race you can do it on your own and record your times. This means the participant will still get their medal and the charity does not miss out on vital fundraising money.
- Start on online community group. Many have sprung up already and you probably have a few in your area, if there isn’t any, why not create one offering support, tips and ideas of how to keep active at home. If your stuck for ideas there are tons of useful websites to help you get started.
- Donate your skills, if you have any. Are you a teacher or do you have some knowledge that someone else might find interesting? You could create a video and post it on YouTube, this could be a really useful tool for parents struggling to entertain their children or someone wanting to learn a new skill.
Whatever it is we do, no matter how big or small could make a huge impact towards someone’s life right now, so on National Micro-Volunteering day of all days, why not volunteer a small amount of your time to help someone in need. If we all volunteered a small amount of our time it would go a long way and have a huge impact.