A year has passed since COVID-19 hit Thailand and it seems to be worse as ever as of July 2021. There’s an increase of deaths and we are averaging around 9,000 cases daily. Here in Bangkok a group of ‘heroes’ banded together to offer immediate assistance to improve the lives of those who are devastated by the global pandemic.
COVID Relief Bangkok again need YOUR help to allow them to continue with their work by reaching out to those not only directly affected by COVID-19 but also by those whose lives have been impacted in other ways.
COVID Relief Bangkok was established on March 23rd by Sati Foundation, Scholars of Sustenance and Urban Studies Lab, they have joined forces to create a public Facebook group to assist those most vulnerable in the city and who are trying to survive without the bare essentials they need to live. They are coordinating donations, gathering together groups of volunteers and coordinating efforts to reach those who need it the most in the safest way possible.
They provide relief efforts by handing out health/sanitation products and instant food to low-income population that are deeply affected by the COVID-19 situation. They have distributed over 1,000,000 meals so far and counting and raised over 4 Million Baht! Covid Relief has successfully launched phase 2 of their campaign. Phase 2 has a slightly different aim than the previous. Phase 2 aims to help vulnerable communities in Bangkok recover from the Covid crisis. Whereas, Phase 1 focused on relief by distributing sanitation and food throughout the city. Additionally, Phase 2 will focus on recovery; providing mental health services to frontline healthcare workers while scaling up food distribution via community-based centralized kitchens across Bangkok.
However, now we are in Phase 3, the third phase’s goal is to “provide support to the elderly and low-income communities in Bangkok who have been most affected by the new Covid wave”. This time around the main distribution of food is still 5kg Rice and canned goods (including fish and fruit). Here is a valiant achievement by Covid Relief: “During the span of 6 months, Covid Relief Bangkok, in collaboration with Health centers all over Bangkok, donated over a million meals in addition to food and sanitation supplies to vulnerable communities throughout the capital city.”
With the success Covid Relief has earned, it’s a shame that we’re back to what feels like square one. Covid Relief’s focus is targeted towards survival and with triumphant fundraisers that they raise frequently we get to see the power of the people in Bangkok come together. Thank you to your donations so far, Covid Relief’s aim was to support over 13,000 households in Bangkok. This came to no surprise as they surpassed this number. With help from so many around Thailand. Once again thank you so much for your donations!
Even though our helpful community has provided great aid to those who have suffered in the past year, this now requires more than relief work. It requires holistic, sustainable, and community-driven initiatives that empower people to withstand not only future health crises, but economic shocks and climate change. In their attempts to scale up their food distribution, they will partner with the Community Organization Development Institute (CODI) to support 5 safe, hygienic, and fully-stocked kitchens in Bangkok to feed thousands of people through the crisis. COVID Relief will fundraise for important materials and provisions, while establishing rigorous health and safety procedures that have been developed through their distribution efforts so far to maintain social distancing.
For vital Mental health support they will expand their partnership with the Thai Health Volunteers Foundation by providing skills training to 1,000 Thai Health Volunteers and social workers working in low-income sub-districts across Bangkok. This “train-the-trainer” model will empower Thai health volunteers to offer mental health services to around 20,000 households (approximately 26% of low income families in Bangkok) beyond the crisis.
So Here’s How You Can Help Them
Easy Drop-off Points For Donations!
Right now COVID Relief are running low on supplies (Please help & share) alcohol sanitizers, masks, soaps, rice, dried goods, canned goods can be delivered to Na Cafe by a simple drop-off method.
Na Cafe at Bangkok 1899 https://goo.gl/maps/AhAv2R2MZUrr7rKy5 Hours : Tuesday – Sunday ,11AM – 3PM Contact : 090 040 3335 (K.Fon)
For money donation, please click here https://www.socialgiver.com/en/give/covid-relief-bangkok
If you would like to volunteer, please contact them directly on their Facebook page COVID Relief Bangkok
As stated by Adam Sharpe, COVID Relief Bangkok Campaign Manager, “If we don’t equip the most at risk with these things the virus will spread like crazy throughout the city.”
According to Sati founder Sakson Rouypirom “This project is for the long haul.”
