I just read an inspiring article on the BBC about a group of Canadian women who started an online group called Caremongering, intended to organize help for the most vulnerable within their community.
in Canada, a country whose inhabitants are stereotyped in the media as kind to a fault, helping others has become an organised movement called "caremongering".
As it's all driven by social media, the altruism is arranged online and the hashtags provide a permanent record of all the good happening in different communities across Canada - an uplifting read in anxious times.
The first "caremongering" group was set up by Mita Hans with the help of Valentina Harper and others. Valentina explained the meaning behind the name.
"Scaremongering is a big problem," she tells the BBC. "We wanted to switch that around and get people to connect on a positive level, to connect with each other.
"It's spread the opposite of panic in people, brought out community and camaraderie, and allowed us to tackle the needs of those who are at-risk all the time - now more than ever." [Emphasis added]
Since the focus of actions is local, the groups are local, and are springing up in scores of communities. If you’re in a position to do so, perhaps your community could benefit from organized efforts to help your most vulnerable community members. But honestly, just having these stories to read about are good for my mental health, and fortify my PMA (positive mental attitude.)
It would be irresponsible of me not to mention that involving people who know how to help without making things worse, is an important part of actually being helpful. In emergency response teams the first rule is “don’t become a victim”, and that rule applies to anyone trying to help in the face of risks. The goal, of course, is to alleviate suffering on the one hand, while lightening the burden on the existing safety nets, on the other. The article linked to above has a number of inspiring examples fitting of a range of needs and abilities.
To all those who are being a part of the solution, Thank You!