We’ve all seen the empty shelves where the bog roll, pasta, tinned goods and long life milk used to be. My kids came home on Fri with a letter saying they need to bring hand sanitizer to school - even Amazon has run out til April last time I checked, so my husband and I are using my homemade one (here from Wired and here from the amazing Lizzie King).
When I start to feel overwhelmed by a massive problem, small things I can do help me order my brain. Here’re some thoughts:
1. Consider others before you stockpile from supermarkets - seems to be everyone’s polite way of saying don’t be a selfish ****. We’re all concerned. None of us knows when it’ll end. We all need to eat. FFS.
2. Donate to a food bank - Sufra NW has launched an emergency appeal and are doing meal runs for people in need, link here.
3. Support your elderly neighbours. If you’re healthy, mobile and have older folks nearby who don’t have nearby family, and filling out and hand delivering a couple of these is a thoughtful and practical way to help them self-isolate safely. You should probably wear plastic gloves at all times when handling whatever you’re delivering, including the initial note, just in case you’re carrying and not yet symptomatic. I’d also suggest wiping down any packages bought with anti-bac spray.
4. Support your local eateries. I follow a lot of independent food businesses on the socials and they’re all saying the same thing; COVID-19 could be the end of them. If they’re 4/5* rated for food hygiene, they tend to be people who are used to strict guidelines on thorough hand washing and avoiding cross contamination. If you feel comfortable doing so (and don’t have underlying health conditions) why not call your local restaurant to see if they’re doing takeaway?
5. Wash. Your. Damn. Hands. Properly. ✌🏾
Stay safe out here, people.