Right now, everything feels unsettling. The coronavirus pandemic has seen the world enter unchartered territory and the way communities have dealt with the crisis has – at times – been terrifying.

But among the stories of panic-buying have emerged even more stories of random acts of kindness to warm our hearts in a time of great need.

Communities are banding together and reaching out to persons in their local areas, particularly the elderly and people with pre-existing health conditions – those most at risk of suffering severe cases of coronavirus.

The hashtag #ViralKindness is awash with uplifting stories of regular people being a beacon of light for their local communities.

Here are some of those stories.

A postcard

One woman has designed a PDF postcard that anyone can print and distribute, to connect with neighbours and offer practical help for those who are in self-isolation.

Becky Wass said she was “feeling pretty helpless watching the news” when she decided to create the postcard.

“If just one person feels less lonely or isolated when faced with this pandemic, then I’ll feel better about it,” she wrote.

It was the origin of the hashtag, #ViralKindness.

People all over the world have been using it and receiving them.

Distributed these to my street today and I already know my neighbours better than I did last week. The irony of social distancing bringing people together #viralkindness. pic.twitter.com/fKWxv1OZgC

— Alice Emily Mortimer (@AliceEmilyMort3) March 16, 2020

Got home to find this through the door, cockles are well and truly warmed ???? #viralkindness #staysafe pic.twitter.com/X1416jATBI

— Kate Bailey (@K_Bailey83) March 17, 2020

Elderly couple in need

Another woman shared her story of an elderly couple reaching out for help outside of a grocery store. It has since gone viral.

I went to the grocery store this afternoon. As I was walking in I heard a woman yell to me from her car. I walked over and found an elderly woman and her husband. She cracked her window open a bit more, and explained to me nearly in tears that they are afraid to go in the store.

— Rebecca Mehra (@rebecca_mehra) March 12, 2020

Afraid to get sick as they are in their 80’s and hear that the novel coronavirus is affecting older people disproportionately. And that they don’t have family around to help them out. Through the crack in the window she handed me a $100 bill and a grocery list, and asked if I

— Rebecca Mehra (@rebecca_mehra) March 12, 2020

would be willing to buy her groceries. I bought the groceries and placed them in her trunk, and gave her back the change. She told me she had been sitting in the car for nearly 45 min before I had arrived, waiting to ask the right person for help.

— Rebecca Mehra (@rebecca_mehra) March 12, 2020

I know it’s a time of hysteria and nerves, but offer to help anyone you can. Not everyone has people to turn to.

— Rebecca Mehra (@rebecca_mehra) March 12, 2020

Newsroom

At theSeattle Timesin Washington, a state that has been particularly struck by the coronavirus in America, their journalists have been working continuously to bring their audience the most up-to-date news.

One subscriber showed their appreciation by sending in some pizza.

Our whole @seattletimes staff has been working nonstop all week as coronavirus spreads in Washington. https://t.co/l9HR7TnL24

But today, a subscriber wrote in and asked if she could send pizzas to the weekend staff. We love our readers and couldn’t do this without them. ???? pic.twitter.com/LcPBrpwEzD

— Taylor Blatchford (@blatchfordtr) March 7, 2020

Community concert

Jackie Borchardt shared that one elderly neighbour who was in quarantine was treated to a concert by her neighbours (at a distance, of course!)

My elderly neighbor is self-isolating. So the neighbor kids are playing her a cello concert from her patio. pic.twitter.com/g6Nr2HNVho

— Jackie Borchardt (@JMBorchardt) March 16, 2020

Kids send in cards

Kids from a school in Columbus made handmade cards to send to sick people being monitored for the coronavirus in quarantine.

“We just heard from the folks in isolation here what a huge impact these made!” Nebraska Medicine posted to their Facebook page.

Facebook groups

In Australia, dozens of coronavirus help-groups have been set up by local residents for their communities, to offer a safe place for anyone in need to ask for help.

Over a dozen have been started in Sydney, Adelaide, Melbourne and more.

People have been offering to drop off their extra supplies of toilet paper, panadol, and other necessary supplies for vulnerable people.

One person posted in a Melbourne group: “If any elderly person wants to do shopping, and couldn’t do because of this panic rush, I am a certified carer, I can help in their shopping”.

For more, read:

The Australian Government Department of Health advises that the only people who will be tested for COVID-19 are those with symptoms who have either returned from overseas in the past 14 days or been in close contact with a confirmed COVID-19 case in the past 14 days.

If you are sick and believe you have symptoms of COVID-19, call your GP ahead of time to book an appointment. Or call the national Coronavirus Health Information Line for advice on 1800 020 080. If you are experiencing a medical emergency, call 000.

To keep up to date with the latest information, please visit the Department of Health website.

Feature Image: Twitter/Jackie Borchardt.

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