After lots of great support for the previous blog, “Volunteering from Home When You’re Isolated but Still Want to Give,” it makes sense to scour for some more opportunities for virtual volunteering. We’ve been in our homes for a while now and will still be here for a while more. We also know that mental health professionals tell us one of the most effective ways to combat loneliness, anxiety, and depression is to be of service to others.
If you’re feeling trapped, isolated, restless, worn down, or any of the other myriad emotions we all swim among day-to-day during these times…maybe you’d like to consider some of these opportunities to make a difference during social distancing, and in the more liberated future, as well.
Be My Eyes
A free app you install on your phone that connects blind and low-vision people with sighted volunteers for visual assistance through a live video call. You make yourself available to receive calls on your own schedule, and if a blind person needs help, they are connected to you via video (without knowing your personal information). It could be a request for help to read signs, get directions, read documents or mail or labels at the store, or any of so many tasks where just a little help can make a huge difference. When you are not available to be someone’s eyes, the next volunteer will handle it. Over 3,500,000 volunteers help in over 180 languages and more than 150 countries. Join them! https://www.bemyeyes.com/
Objective Zero
Peer supporters remotely connect with veterans and active military in the top suicide prevention, behavioral, and mental health wellness platform available. The easy-to-use app enhances social connectedness and access to resources to combat suicide and self-harm in the military community. Users can remain anonymous or build a profile for this nationwide network. You can become a certified ambassador with online training courses—making yourself available for even a short time each week can save a life. https://www.objectivezero.org/ambassadors
Points of Light
Get information and links to multiple virtual volunteering opportunities here, including some specific to the COVID-19 response. Using your computer, tablet, or phone, you can connect and serve in any number of ways. https://www.pointsoflight.org/virtual-volunteering-opportunities/
Wikipedia
The information aggregator that rules your internet searches depends on editors who volunteer from home. There is no experience necessary to begin to learn editing skills from more experienced editors, and soon you can be contributing articles and improving, fact-checking, and correcting existing entries. If you’ve got coding skills, you have even more to offer, but anyone can help. https://wikimediafoundation.org/participate/
Tarjimly
If you are bilingual or multilingual in any languages, you can be matched with world refugees and aid workers who need your support from afar. Using chat, audio, or video calls, you can be of service to the world’s 23 million refugees, translating for humanity. “Tarjimly” means “translate for me” and their mission is to improve the lives of refugees and the efficiency of humanitarian services by eliminating language barriers. https://tarjim.ly/en
Red Cross
The American Red Cross is who we all know to turn to during times of crisis and disaster, but the amazing volunteer work they need is not limited to disaster dispatch teams with food and shelter, but also digital advocates, who work from home. Red Cross wants you to actively engage in social media sharing of important dispatches and messaging, jump into online fundraising, and explore Disaster Relief text initiatives. Find out about virtual opportunities here: https://www.redcross.org/volunteer/volunteer-opportunities/be-a-digital-advocate.html
American Heart Association
Conduct online wellness checks and give support to stroke patients, families, and caregivers via online forums and support groups. Also check on elderly members of your community who may be housebound or isolating in non-healthy ways via virtual interactions organized by the agency. https://www.heart.org/en/get-involved
Volunteermatch
The largest pairing network for volunteer opportunities by region has an entire section of their searchable database for Virtual Volunteers (nearly 700,000 volunteers needed as of today for ongoing or dated opportunities). There is a huge array of categories of work to dive into and find your perfect fit. Do a one-off gig for an afternoon, or find your newest partner-for-good agency changing the world the way you always knew could happen. https://www.volunteermatch.org/virtual-volunteering
Change by Doing 