Donation drives you can pitch in to help underserved communities right now

“Just stay at home” is an easy thing to say during the enhanced community quarantine period for those with means to do so, especially the middle- and upper-class people who won’t have to worry about where their next meal could come from. But what about the minimum wage and low-income earners who don’t have the same privilege to feed themselves and their families?

Keeping in mind their reason for wanting to go out and do their work, we should help in offering them a solution—which can be as simple as ensuring that they have food on their tables and partaking in letting their voices be heard during this challenging period.

[READ: Here are the organizations you can donate to as we battle the COVID-19 pandemic]

With this, here are donation drives organized by teams and individuals which you can partake in to help the underserved communities who are most vulnerable at the moment.

Zero Hunger PH

Being able to stock up on food supplies is a privilege—so what can we do for those who don’t have the means to do so, especially during this lockdown period? 

Help out the homeless and families with no income and savings affected by the enhanced community quarantine through this youth-led movement, which aims to create and distribute food bags for 10,000 families in select Luzon provinces.

Donations can be made through EastWest bank, G-Cash, Paymaya, BDO and Paypal—check out the details above.

People for Accountable Governance And Sustainable Action (PAGASA)

P700 can go a long way, in fact, it is enough to put together a basic one-week survival pack containing six kilos of rice, four cans each of sardines and corned beef, assorted fresh vegetables and 1/2 kilo sugar, among others. Help put food on the tables of low-income earners in some communities in Quezon City and Tondo, Manila through the initiative of People for Accountable Governance  And Sustainable Action (PAGASA).

Working with organizations that already have access to said communities, details for this initiative can be found above.

IskoOps by UP Diliman University Student Council

The University Student Council of the University of the Philippines – Diliman (UP USC) is currently organizing an initiative called IskoOps for dormers, vendors and jeepney drivers who are members of various sectors in the UP community affected by the current heightened community quarantine in Luzon.

While in-kind donations like food and toiletries are requested for dormers, cash donations may also be coursed for vendors and jeepney drivers through GoGetFunding. More details can be found in their post above.

DoNation Drive by Maine Mendoza

Local TV personality Maine Mendoza is personally facilitating all donations for a drive she organized where she pledged to send P1,000 per household for food and other essentials. Not only did she encourage the public to take part, but she is also asking those who need assistance to reach out to her, as she aims to help as many employees affected by the work stoppage due to the quarantine.

Sending and receiving donations will be done through G-Cash, and further details may be found here.

Para Po! Tulong Tayo

Among the most affected working sectors by the recent enhanced community quarantine protocols are the vendors and public utility vehicle drivers. Due to the mass public transport suspension, they are now left without their usual means to feed their families.

As of the moment, the Para Po! Tulong Tayo project is coordinating with the local government of Imus, Cavite for the delivery of food items to affected drivers. There are around 30 to 40 families already listed as beneficiaries of the donation drive. 

While the organizing team is also coordinating to reach other areas, those interested in helping are also encouraged to refer those who need help from their own communities or barangays. More details can be found in the post above.

Tara Tulong Tayo! By Tara Baraha!

Due to the temporary business closures in observance of the COVID-19 quarantine, various no work-no pay employees are in need of assistance. Thus, Tara Baraha! hopes to provide them with P1,000 cash assistance each.

Transactions will be made via G-Cash and affected businesses and daily wage earners may also reach out through the details given above.

De Paul House

The theological seminary for both Vincentian and Diocesan seminarians is also organizing a drive aimed at providing grocery packs to the street dwellers in Quezon City—specifically along Visayas, Mindanao and Congressional avenues and nearby areas. 

Aside from cash, in-kind donations like rice, canned goods and noodles may be dropped off at their address stated above.

Sanitary napkin donation drive

In an effort to provide girls and women in marginalized communities access to sanitary napkins, a donation drive has been launched to collect funds that will be used to purchase the essential feminine hygiene product. These will be donated to beneficiaries in selected barangays in Quezon City, Marikina, and Tondo, and those who would like to help out may pitch in through BPI or Paypal.

Header photo courtesy of Kat Yukawa on Unsplash

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