We know it can be tough to sort through all the information about the COVID-19 outbreak. We have pinned a post to the top of our Facebook feed with some of the best links we can find to keep you up to date. Information is changing so rapidly that we don't want to clutter things up with posts that will be out of date in a day. These links are from sites that are being updated as new information becomes available. You can also visit the Shawnee County Campaign for Grade-Level Reading page where we continue to share resources for reading and other school activities.
One of the things we do best is making sure that the many excellent agencies in our area stay connected, especially in times of crisis. To that end, we are:
Already this collective group has been able to help one agency keep its sack lunch program going by sharing volunteers and resources. Living United is our best hope for keeping services available for those most in need in our community.
This relief fund will quickly and directly help local non-profit organizations that serve those most in need due to the Coronavirus outbreak. Your donation will complement the work of our public health officials and expand local capacity to efficiently respond to evolving needs. 100% of all donations to this fund will go straight to those non-profit organizations in our community needing assistance with increased demand due to the COVID-19 outbreak. You can donate at http://Bit.ly/COVID19TopCity.
Thank you to our Women United affinity group for pledging to match the first $5,000 of your donations! Helping in times of crisis is Women United’s specialty. Learn more about what they do at: https://unitedwaytopeka.org/give/leadership/women/.
We are doing our part to #FlattenTheCurve. Most staff are working remotely, with a few essential staff spending limited hours in the office to take care of a few tasks that require them to be in the building. The office is closed to the public, but we will continue to accept mail and deliveries from 9 am to 1 pm. As you might expect, some activities and events were affected by the current situation. Get more details from our press release and on our social media channels. Email addresses for all staff can be found on our web page.
United Way Wednesday Facebook videos will now post every week until the COVID-19 crisis resolves. We want to share what changes we are seeing to the nonprofit service landscape, how those changes may affect you and where you can plug in and help with your time, talent or money. Videos will post around noon on Wednesdays. Feel free to ask questions in the comments and we’ll find answers for you! We also plan to send a weekly newsletter for a while instead of monthly to make sure you get the information you need.
While many of the adults are adapting to working from home, they also are taking on the added role of teaching school. While online resources are only part of the solution, United Way of Greater Topeka, through its leadership role in the Shawnee County Campaign for Grade-Level Reading, is sharing educational links for all ages on the CGLR Facebook page. New resources are shared daily.
You aren’t in this alone! We will be posting mental health tips and healthy living links on all of our social media channels. Self-care is just as important as caring for others in stressful times.
We know in this uncertain moment that volunteering is a very personal choice based on many factors. But even if volunteering outside your home is not an option—and many volunteer activities, like delivering meals, are considered essential services—we are asking local agencies to think about ways you can help from your home. Opportunities to volunteer can be found in the COVID-19 cluster on TopekaVolunteers.org: https://bit.ly/COVID19volunteers.