If you’re an evacuee like me, or an invitee waiting to begin this journey like my best friend, you may be sitting at home itching for something to do.
When I first returned to my Home of Record, I thought finding a job would be the most fulfilling way to use my time. However, as the list of rejections grew, mixed with the existing negative feelings from evacuation, well, let’s just say it did not do much good for my emotional stability.
As I reconsidered how I was spending my days, I realized I was neglecting the tried and true source of my energy, joy, and motivation – service.
Many states are currently under stay-at-home orders, but fortunately, volunteering is considered an essential business. So, if you’re an evacuee or invitee, here are 7 ways to continue (or start) your service stateside!
1. Volunteer at your local soup kitchen or food pantry!
COVID-19 has presented a variety of extreme challenges for many families with school closures and unemployment; therefore, more and more people are turning to food banks for support.
If you are physically able, consider serving your community by volunteering at a soup kitchen or food pantry!
Feeding America has put together a resource to find your local food bank, many of which are taking the necessary precautions to prioritize the safety of their volunteers. If this isn’t an option for you, that’s okay! You can still offer your support for vulnerable families by offering a monetary donation.
2. Organize/assist with a blood drive!
How many village meetings did you host with your counterpart?
How many external organizations did you reach out to in order to provide trainings for your community?
Well, don’t let your organization skills go to waste just because we’re not at our sites!
The American Red Cross has been working tirelessly to make sure hospitals across the country have ample supply of blood products, and we can help. You can recruit blood donors, promote blood drives, greet and register donors, or be a driver and deliver blood units from drives to laboratories to be tested and sent to hospitals.
Check out all of their urgent local or remote volunteer opportunities here. If you are able, consider donating blood units, as well!
3. Offer up your empathy
(TW: domestic abuse, self-harm, rape.)
Empathy is arguably a PCVs strongest attribute and the skill we are always looking to strengthen.
No matter which sector you served or will be serving in, it’s something that’s present in every step of PACA, or the Participatory Analysis for Community Action (yup, I just brought up PACA). Now is the time to keep putting it to use!
Although health and government officials have said that staying home saves lives, it may not ring true for every household. Abusive partners may use this time to exert additional power or control. People may experience greater tolls on their mental health. Consider using this time to become a certified Crisis Counselor.
You can find local domestic violence/sexual assault centers with RAINN’s resource here. You can also get certified as a national Crisis Counselor via Crisis Text Line. A third way to help this cause is to get social! Share resources and how people may access them.
4. Be civically engaged and encourage others to do so, as well!
Although the days seem to be blending together, let’s not forget that this year is still an election year.
An evacuee in my cohort shared that she was feeling unproductive, so a friend suggested that she volunteer at a phone bank. She did (and not even for a representative from her state!) and encouraged us to do the same, saying that it takes no more than 30 minutes every few days and it has had a significant impact in helping her find a sense of purpose again.
I thought I’d give it a shot, but instead of calling voters I decided to write postcards! It honestly has been so cathartic. If this sounds like something you’d be interested in, check out opportunities with organizations such as Sister District Project (Blue-leaning), GOP, or Vote Forward (increase voter turnout).
5. Scour openings on VolunteerMatch!
During my service, I discovered what I’m truly passionate about – food.
From what I can tell on @FoodiesOfPeaceCorps, @PeaceCorpsFood, and @BakersOfPeaceCorps, it doesn’t seem that this realization is unique to me.
Well, post-evacuation, I wanted to do more in food access, nutrition, food equity, and the like, but didn’t have the formal experience or skills to find a job in this field. So, I went on VolunteerMatch and found a start-up aiming to address poverty alleviation and food waste, and am now volunteering on their Business Team. With this resource, you can find volunteer opportunities in a variety of sectors, such as Children & Youth, Education & Literacy, Health & Medicine, Seniors, and Women.
At this time, you can also filter for remote opportunities and those that are specifically related to COVID-19! It’s a great way to sharpen a skill you can use once you re-instate to your site, or develop a new interest for your next professional career.
6. Check out your local RPCV group!
The National Peace Corps Association has been such a useful resource and advocate in terms of moving Peace Corps forward.
There are currently more than 170 Affiliate Groups all over the world and many are organizing and/or advertising local service opportunities. For example, the Chicago Area Peace Corps Association has informed its members about opportunities to volunteer at various food pantries and make masks for the community, as well as organized a fundraiser to provide groceries for a local refugee family!
7. Take care of yourself.
During Pre-Service Training, one of the main lessons I learned from a PCV in the cohort before mine is that you can’t pour from an empty cup, meaning that you must be in a place where you can take care of yourself before you can take on the stress of others.
Being Peace Corps Volunteers, I know that many of us have the tendency to say “yes” to every request and service opportunity thrown at us, often before checking if we are in the place to do so effectively.
But, remember we are in a global pandemic.
Like the rest of the world, we also went through a significant and sudden change. It’s absolutely okay to just use this time to take it easy. An immense act of service could be practicing gratitude every morning, meditating before bed, reading a book, or taking a hot shower (I know almost every PCV can appreciate this).
Closing Thoughts
These are just a few ways we can continue serving stateside. You can also check out the RPCVs Serving at Home Facebook page to check out how your fellow PCVs have adapted their service to being back in the US. No matter what you end up choosing to do, I just want to take this time to say, thank you for your service, including everything you’ve done before, during, and after Peace Corps.
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