Acts of kindness help communities cope

Residents share ideas to show thanks, support neighbours amid crisis

In the midst of the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak, Nathan Ho found himself suddenly more appreciative of the sacrifices of people who work at his condo building.

On Monday, the 34-year-old realtor with Century 21 was on his way home from grocery shopping when he noticed the concierge and other staff working away, as they normally do. But this time, something struck him about it.

"While everyone else is panicking about the virus and food and supplies, here are these people taking care of us and keeping us safe," said Ho of the staff members at Market Wharf, a condo building near St. Lawrence Market.

He immediately felt the need to show these people that he was "thankful" for what they are doing, showing up at work and continuing to keep the building secure and clean during this difficult period. He went out and bought two large boxes of pizza, some chicken wings and bottles of water. The whole supply cost him about $70, he said.

"I talk to some of them all the time about sports and whatever is going on," said Ho, who has lived at the building for three years. "It's the least I can do just to say to them I am thankful for their continued support, even during this crisis."

The head of concierge services at Market Wharf, Michael Vallis, said he and nine other staff members (who include security officers and cleaners) were "very happy" to see someone recognize their efforts and show a gesture of kindness.

He said it is rare in condo buildings to get a chance to know one's neighbours, but there has always been a sense of community at Market Wharf.

"Nathan is one of our very generous residents here," said Vallis, who has been on the job for five years. "It's nice to see someone being kind. It makes our efforts feel worthwhile."

Vallis said he and the staff are taking precautionary measures during the COVID-19 pandemic - wearing gloves and masks, washing hands and sanitizing. Their ultimate goal is always to make sure everyone in the building is safe, he said.

"However dire the situation is, we always try to take care of each other. That's something I can't take for granted," he said.

In communities across the province, many people are stepping up with random acts of kindness during the spread of COVID-19, by taking care of the elderly and those most at risk of contracting the novel coronavirus. Support groups have been created to help with grocery shopping for those who are in quarantine or in self-isolation, buying medication, sharing hygienic supplies or even walking dogs for those unwilling to go outside.

Ray McKenna has lived in the CityPlace complex downtown for nearly three years and feels it has become "my community."

He posted on the condos' public Facebook group of nearly 1,000 members that he was available to help, if and whenever needed.

"I am here to support you in any way with shop runs or anything you need that will help you or your families survive," McKenna wrote last week.

The 31-year-old nutritionist, who runs Ray McKenna Fitness in the area, told the Star the idea was simple: everyone needs something to eat, and there are people who may not be able to leave their house to go shopping. So he offered to to pick up and deliver supplies to them.

"You look at all the elderly people being pushed over in the supermarkets, not here but all over the world, and then you realized that these people are probably more scared than anybody," he said.

"Many people in these situations may not have anybody to take care of them, you know. It's becoming a little bit of a mess out there."

Professional runner Rebecca Mehra from Bend, Ore., drew attention last week when she tweeted about her experience of finding a couple in their 80s stuck in a car outside a grocery store, too "afraid" to get out and buy what they needed. They gave her $100 and a list, and she went into the store to purchase groceries for them, placing them in the couple's trunk and giving them change.

"I know it's a time of hysteria and nerves, but offer to help anyone you can. Not everyone has people to run to," she concluded on her Twitter thread, which has since garnered thousands of reactions.

Closer to home, in Mississauga, the Islamic Centre of North America Relief Canada, has offered to provide volunteers who can deliver medications and groceries to families who are affected by the novel coronavirus and are in self-isolation. Those in need can contact the group through its help line: 905-997-8777.

And Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti announced Friday his city is launching a food drive to support local charities and food banks.

"Many are preparing by purchasing groceries and supplies but we should not forget others who may not be as fortunate," he wrote in a media release. "As we navigate through these challenging times, we must remember that we are all in this together."

Food delivery service Fresh City Farms announced it would be waiving all delivery fees for the next eight weeks for clients in the GTA, and will begin instituting a no-contact delivery system, leaving deliveries on doorsteps or with the concierge.

At one residential building in midtown Toronto, resident Amanda Bateman drafted a sign-up sheet and posted it on the bulletin board. The notice had two columns: "Residents looking to help" and "residents looking for help."

"My building has a lot of older people and retirees," she told the Star, explaining the need to create a community support group during the coronavirus outbreak. "I thought it would be nice if we all started to pitch in to help those who are more vulnerable."

Bateman, 32, said help could be anything from picking up and dropping off groceries or medication to dog walking.

"I can't help but think of vulnerable populations, people who are living in shelters, people who are in prison, people who can't afford to not work for a while, service or entertainment workers who, if they don't get that cheque, may not pay their bills," she said.

"Seniors, people who are immunocompromised, those with disabilities, there's just a lot of people for whom this (virus) could be quite devastating."

Torontonians offer more tips on how to help:

Stay in contact - remotely - with those who are isolated

Fears about the spread of the virus means those already socially isolated will become even more so, and the broader community needs to keep a sharp eye out for this population, said Zenia Castanos, a counsellor with Family Service Toronto's seniors and caregivers support services team.

Face-to-face interaction won't really be possible if there are quarantines or individuals with compromised immune systems, but there are other means of staying in contact - such as phone calls, email and social media services such as WhatsApp, Skype or FaceTime, Castanos said.

"If people know they have a neighbour or someone in their community living alone, they can just check in on them, to see if they need anything at the store to lessen the need for them to go out and expose themselves," Castanos said.

Support a small business through gift cards

Some small businesses are asking that customers and the general public not forget about them.

Amee King, owner of Imelda, a women's shoe boutique on Roncesvalles Avenue, took to Instagram to post a message encouraging people to purchase gift certificates to her store.

She says customers can email her at info@imelda.ca and she'll mail out the gift certificates using traditional mail. She plans to use e-transfers to accept payments.

"I'm just a small-business owner trying to survive in the wake of COVID-19. And trying to reach out to people to support small businesses, restaurants and shops because we don't have the luxury of being able to work at home. We rely on our customers to keeps us afloat," King said in an interview.

King has operated her store for eight years and hasn't seen a slowdown in walk-in traffic like the one she saw last week, a drop clearly linked to people staying away amid the pandemic.

"I think there were maybe six or seven people coming into the store, which is super rare for a Thursday. The whole street was really quiet. It was a bit apocalyptic," King said.

"People are just walking around with packages of toilet paper under their arms and going from A to B pretty quickly."

She's trying to remain optimistic, though there's also a sense of dread, she says.

"I'm trying to stay positive. If you're not laughing, you're crying. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't concerned. I have staff to pay for. It's not like (the) hydro (service) will say you've had a rough month so we'll give you a break, or my landlord will say I'll take a little off your rent. There are still bills coming in," said King, who has a staff of six including herself.

Donate from a distance

Neil Hetherington, CEO of the Daily Bread Food Bank, says individuals concerned about going outdoors but who still want to support the charity can make a financial donation to the food bank online at dailybread.ca/ways-to-give using their credit card or PayPal account.

Hetherington suggests donors also use their Amazon Prime accounts or equivalent services to order non-perishables and have the goods sent directly to the Daily Bread Food Bank at 191 New Toronto St., Toronto, Ont., M8V 2E7.

"That would be new for us to start to receive food that way," he said.

Downtown condo resident Nathan Ho, right, bought pizza for the staff of his building, including head concierge Michael Vallis, to show thanks for their work to keep the building clean and safe. Kelsey Wilson Toronto Star Amanda Bateman posted a notice in her midtown building allowing residents to volunteer their services, from grocery shopping to dog walking, for neighbours in need.

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This article was written by Donovan Vincent and Gilbert Ngabo from The Toronto Star and was legally licensed by AdvisorStream through the NewsCred publisher network.