Who needs help in the Columbia area due to coronavirus, and how you can give
Entire communities are trying to adjust to the social and economic fallout of the coronavirus outbreak, and the burden will fall the hardest on the most vulnerable people in society.
The good news is charitable agencies exist to help people even in the good times. But the scale of the problem they face today will test their ability to give everyone the help they need. Here’s how you can help.
If your organization needs help during these unstable times, please let The State know by emailing online@thestate.com.
PROVIDENCE HOSPITAL
Providence Hospital is asking the public for donations. Members can donate: disposable face masks including surgical masks and earloop masks; respirator masks rated N95 or higher; face shields and goggles designed to protect eyes; disposable gowns such as medical/dental gowns as well as impervious or isolation gowns; disposable non-latex gloves; disposable surgical caps; disposable foot covers; antimicrobial wipes; and hand sanitizer
Providence Health is not accepting medical devices, medications or linens.
Donors can contact Peter Ryckebosch at 803-457-2249 or at Peter.Ryckebosch@ProvidenceHospitals.com.
PRISMA HEALTH
The health care system’s Columbia-area hospitals are in need of N-95 masks, surgical masks, splash-guard face shields, goggles, non-latex gloves, reusable or disposable isolation gowns, no-contact infrared thermometers calibrated for humans, and ventilators.
Disposable and single-use personal protective equipment must be new and sterile. The hospital is not accepting homemade masks.
Contact Berri Heinz, manager of procurement and supplier diversity, at Berri.Heinz@PrismaHealth.org.
LEXINGTON MEDICAL CENTER
The Lexington Medical Center Foundation is accepting donations of important supplies for hospital staff, including powered air purifying respirators (PAPRs), N-95 masks, 3-ply polypropylene earloop face masks, disinfecting cleaning wipes, hand sanitizer, face shields, disposable isolation gowns.
Contact community outreach manager Thomas Tafel at 803-791-2540 or email tetafel@lexhealth.org.
The hospital is also asking for homemade greeting cards to distribute to patients, whether they are suffering from COVID-19 or not. Please seal the cards in a ziplock bag for 24 hours to kill any germs, then deliver them to the south entrance at 2720 Sunset Boulevard between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Call (803) 791-2901 upon arrival and someone will come collect the cards.
GOODWILL
Unlike other organizations in need of donations, Goodwill is asking donors not to leave items at their stores right now. The thrift store is closed during the coronavirus outbreak, and won’t have anyone to collect items that have been left outside their stores.
The store is asking donors to hold onto clothes and other items until the store reopens to accept them.
MENTAL ILLNESS RECOVERY CENTER
MIRCI works to combat homelessness and mental illness in the Midlands. The center is asking for monetary donations to meet its clients’ transportation and counseling needs, as well as hand sanitizer, soap, gloves, and masks.
SENIOR RESOURCES
Senior Resources, which is providing meals to Richland County seniors through the crisis, is asking people to donate from a list of non-perishable food items and toiletries. Donations can be delivered to the Senior Resources headquarters, 2817 Millwood Ave., between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
The non-profit is also seeking monetary donations to its COVID-19 Disaster Relief Fund.
UNITED WAY OF THE MIDLANDS
The United Way is taking donations for a COVID-19 Response Fund to meet basic needs of people affected, like food, shelter, and rent and utility assistance. The fund will be available for people in Richland, Lexington, Fairfield, Newberry, Orangeburg and Calhoun counties.
United Way will partner with Community Impact Partners to identify those with the highest priority cases. Applications can be made online.
“People are facing risk of homelessness and hardships due to the health and economic impacts of coronavirus,” said Sara Fawcett, president and CEO of United Way of the Midlands. “We are working with our partners to help those who need it as quickly and effectively as possible.”
HARVEST HOPE FOOD BANK
Between March 16 and March 20, Harvest Hope fed 4,000 people in the Columbia area out of the emergency food pantry. The food bank says it expects the number to increase due to the pandemic. It’s the largest one week demand for food Harvest Hope has seen since the 2015 flood.
“We are doing our best to try and be sure none of our neighbors go hungry during this crisis,” said Wendy Broderick, Harvest Hope CEO. “More people need our services, and we need the community to help us provide them.”
The highest needs are for monetary contributions and non-perishable food items. Volunteer opportunities are also available.
HOMELESS SHELTERS
If food pantries — and, due to panic-buying, grocery stores — start to run low on food, it can also disrupt the food supply for local homeless shelters, which depend on food donations to feed the needy.
▪ Washington Street Methodist Church needs chips, granola bars, snack crackers and other individual-sized goods to hand out in lieu of soup.
▪ Transitions is in need of money to purchase cleaning equipment, disposable plasticware and protective gear.
Washington Street Methodist Church, Harvest Hope and Mission Lexington are all also seeking volunteers. Many regular volunteers are older, part of the demographic most susceptible to the virus.
RED CROSS
With schools and businesses closed and most people staying at home, the American Red Cross has fewer opportunities to organize blood drives. But that doesn’t mean blood transfusions are not still needed.
The Red Cross is asking for more volunteers to give blood, and have announced extra precautions for those giving blood at its donation center at 2751 Bull Street.
Upcoming blood drives will be held at the USC Arnold School of Public Health from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on April 7, Jack Oliver’s Pool and Patio, 3303 Forest Drive, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 4. The Richland County Sheriff’s Department and the Richland County Coroner’s Office are also encouraging first responders to give blood on April 1.
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREWhat you should know about the coronavirus
The coronavirus is spreading in the United States. Officials are urging people to take precautions to avoid getting sick, and to avoid spreading the disease if they do contract it.
Click the drop-down icon on this card for more on the virus and what you should do to keep yourself and those around you healthy.
What is coronavirus?
Coronavirus is an infection of the respiratory system similar to the flu. Coronaviruses are a class of viruses that regularly cause illnesses among adults and children, but this outbreak has spawned a new disease called COVID-19, a particularly harsh respiratory condition that can lead to death.
Health officials believe COVID-19 spread from animals to humans somewhere in China. It spreads among humans by physical person-to-person contact, including via coughs. That’s why health officials urge sick individuals to avoid contact with other people.
For more information, visit the website for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
What are the symptoms?
Symptoms are similar to the flu and include fever, coughing and shortness of breath.
How can I stop the spread of the coronavirus?
Wash your hands regularly with soap and water, and cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze.
If you develop symptoms similar to the coronavirus, you should seek medical attention. Stay home from work or school and avoid contact with others. It can take up to 14 days after coming into contact with the virus to develop symptoms.
COVID-19 is a new condition and there’s much about the disease we still don’t understand. For now, taking precautions is the best way to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
This story was originally published March 25, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
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