9 Businesses That Are Giving Back During the Pandemic

The outbreak of coronavirus has had global ramifications. Many of us are feeling unsure about what the future will hold in the days ahead.

During difficult times, there is always a light in the darkness. Oftentimes, that light is through the kindness of others. There are a number of companies and corporations that have put their creative thinking hats on to come up with a strategy for providing relief during COVID-19.

The following companies are doing what they can to give back. Let’s do what we can to support them as they continue to help others. 

DoorDash 

Even during a pandemic, humans still have basic needs that need to be met, and eating is one of them. DoorDash is going above and beyond to help. In addition to switching to contactless delivery and offering free hand sanitizer and gloves to workers, they are helping keep local restaurants afloat. They announced a commission relief and marketing support package intended to help local businesses generate up to $200 million of additional sales this year. 

DoorDash is also supporting drivers by offering financial assistance for any Dashers who test positive for the virus or who are under doctor’s recommended quarantine if they cannot obtain a test. They may also apply for relief if a member of their immediate household meets these conditions. 

ZyDoc 

One of the most significant challenges health providers face is documentation. In crisis, this paperwork is critical to maintaining accurate records of the number of infections, recoveries and deaths. However, with patient medical needs taking precedence, staff members are working on overdrive to complete this necessary task that can take up to six hours of provider’s time each day. 

ZyDoc, a leading medical documentation company, is offering its services at no cost to healthcare providers and hospitals affected by the outbreak. This generous donation frees doctors and other medical professionals to focus on helping patients. 

Apostrophe

Hand sanitizer is in high demand. Apostrophe, a teledermatology skincare startup, recognizes the need and has jumped in to help. They are now producing the WHO hand sanitizer formula at their compounding pharmacy. Each two-pack sells for close to the production cost at just $15, and the company donates all profits to the WHO COVID Response Fund.

Headbands of Hope 

Jess Ekstrom is the founder and CEO of Headbands for Hope, which has donated more than half a million headbands to children’s hospitals in 19 countries around the world. In an effort to provide COVID-19 relief, Headbands of Hope is halting the production of headbands at its factories in China in order to make surgical masks instead.

Ekstrom has also donated Headbands of Hope swag to medical personnel. In addition, the CEO also turned her previously scheduled conference into a self-paced digital event that she is offering for free to healthcare workers and anyone facing job loss due to the pandemic. The event will be closed-captioned for the hearing impaired.

Logitech 

Many people in the education field were able to keep their jobs. However, with school closures, many educators have had to transition to virtual classrooms.

Not all professionals had the necessary equipment at home to tackle the change. So technology company Logitech is offering a program where educators can request a free headset and webcam to connect with their students. 

Chef José Andrés 

When the Grand Princess cruise ship lingered off the coast of California due to COVID-19 cases on deck, José Andrés flew into action. Previously, he established a charity called World Central Kitchen, which distributes meals to low-income families. When the ship finally docked, Andrés and his crew set up a tent outside to feed warm meals to crew and passengers alike.

He continues to weaponize empathy and feeds those in need in the wake of this disaster through WCK. The organization is delivering fresh meals to tens of thousands of people across the country, developing an initiative to get restaurants back to work and feeding frontline healthcare workers. 

OneAZ Credit Union 

N95 respirator masks are the gold standard in healthcare settings. Standard surgical masks can help keep infected individuals from breathing droplets onto surfaces, but there isn’t a guarantee against infection. Unfortunately, these devices are in short supply.

OneAZ Credit Union built a generous amount of these masks during the 2009 H1N1 pandemic. They donated 40,000 N95 masks to Banner Desert Medical Center’s ICU unit for COVID-19 patients. They have also committed $200,000 for emergency COVID-19 Community Impact Grants to support Arizona communities. 

JoAnn Fabrics

People who are fortunate enough to have a sewing machine while they shelter-in-place can help make masks to protect individuals from spreading the virus. JoAnn’s Fabrics initiated a make-to-give response that has created more than 76 million masks to date. They offer tutorials on their website, and select locations offer curbside pickup of materials. 

Cottonelle 

If there’s one product that everyone needs these days, then it’s toilet paper. Many individuals have encountered nothing but empty shelves at local grocery stores. Cottonelle is donating $1 million to the United Way Worldwide COVID-19 Community Response and Recovery Fund and is partnering to donate 1 million rolls of toilet paper over the next three months. They also launched a #ShareASquare program, which encourages customers to tag instances of toilet paper-sharing to for a $1 donation from the company.

You can support companies that are giving back during COVID-19. They are doing their part to give back during the global pandemic, and we can too. Let’s show that we care by choosing to support companies like these that are showing compassion during a time of crisis.

Do you know any businesses that are providing COVID-19 relief? Share in the comments below.

Image via Chaunte Vaughn, Darling Issue No. 13