Top 5 Coronavirus Relief Organizations

There are two sides to the relief effort for COVID-19: a vaccine and the day-to-day care and prevention. As research labs and government agencies across the world work to develop a viable vaccine, many nonprofit organizations have been pouring their resources into supporting individuals and local relief groups. Here is a list of some of the top nonprofit organizations doing their part to help those affected by this disease:

1. Good360

Good360 is an international charitable organization that specializes in product philanthropy by sourcing needed goods from reputable brands across the world and offering them to their nonprofit partners. So far, they have provided “more than $135 million in donated goods in response to the COVID-19 pandemic”. They currently have over 90,000 partners in their nonprofit network so their impact is far-reaching.
Learn more and donate here.

2. United Way Worldwide

Founded in 1887, the United Way is a global nonprofit organization that has worked for decades to improve the livelihood of local communities. Their primary focus is to strengthen the “education, financial stability and health” of those they serve.
You can donate today to the COVID-19 Community Response and Recovery Fund and learn more about how the United Way is stepping up to support many of the local services that are currently overwhelmed by the virus.

3. Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders

Médecins Sans Frontières (or Doctors Without Borders) is a medical NGO that provides medical resources to countries around the world. MSF was founded in 1971 with the belief “that all people have the right to medical care regardless of gender, race, religion, creed, or political affiliation”. Recently, MSF has turned their efforts towards providing support during this pandemic. They are currently “caring for patients, offering health education and mental health support, and providing training for vital infection control measures in health facilities around the world”. You can learn more and donate to MSF here.

4. National Foundation for Infectious Diseases

The National Foundation for Infectious Diseases is a non-profit organization that provides education regarding “the burden, causes, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of infectious diseases across the lifespan”. This has become especially valuable during the pandemic as they continue to provide unique resources regarding prevention techniques and maintaining vaccine rates amid the pandemic. You can support their work here.

5. Crisis Aid International

Crisis Aid International is a nonprofit organization that specializes in helping those in Africa and the United States in crisis situations. To date, they “have provided more than 17.8 million pounds of food, served 2.6 million adults and malnourished children, and 1,378 sex trafficking victims helped, the youngest being 4 years of age”. In response to COVID-19, they have worked diligently to expand their food programs to assist local communities and service projects. As with all of these great organizations, they can always use extra support. You can donate to Crisis Aid International here.

Additional COVID-19 Resources:

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
https://www.nih.gov/coronavirus

Speaker Series: Valley of the Sun United Way

As we continue to bring in more and more nonprofit speakers, it has been wonderful to learn about these different missions and gain insights we may not have had before. Our latest speakers were Timna Guerchon and Chelsea Bowdren from the Valley of the Sun United Way.

Valley of the Sun United Way was founded in 1925 and has been working diligently to bring together donors, businesses, faith-based communities and more to improve the lives of those less fortunate in Maricopa County. While Maricopa County is an area with tremendous wealth, it is also an area of severe poverty.

Senior Engagement Manager, Timna Guerchon, explained that the core mission is to break the cycle of poverty and that means working in many different areas including education, food services, financial services, and more. Guerchon began her career in corporate America, but realized she wanted to work somewhere with a grander impact. That calling led her to United Way. Development Officer, Chelsea Bowdren, began in theater and that love for a sense of community drove her to work with nonprofits so she could help those in her own backyard.

Guercon and Bowdren explained that many of the families they work with are families of 4, making around $450 a week. For us, that fact emphasized the urgency of this problem. They pointed out that it’s one thing to donate, but that it’s also important to “go and visit your money”. By actually participating in the various events, volunteers and donors are able to see the true impact of their generosity. Luckily, Valley of the Sun United Way is constantly working on events and programs that anyone can contribute to.

One example was their recent “Stand Down” event for homeless veterans. Guercon explained that she is particularly proud of the growing number of veterans who attended that were homeless in the past, but are getting back on their feet. In terms of programs, there is an online tutoring program through Vello. Anyone is able to sign up and choose easy time slots to help a child learn to read. There are so many opportunities to do good with United Way and we are honored to be their partner.

To learn more about Valley of the Sun United Way, please visit https://www.vsuw.org/.