COVID-19 has forced businesses, restaurants, schools, and churches to close down to try to slow the spread. With all these companies closing down or reducing hours, millions have been put out of a job. An estimated 3.2 million cooks, bartenders, and waiters, 1.1 million teaching assistants, and 2.5 million employees in arts and entertainment are all at risk of losing their source of income because of COVID-19. But even if a person doesn’t have a job, they still need to eat – because of this, food banks are under much more stress and are also facing new problems due to COVID-19.
Self-isolation in the U.K. has come to the point where food banks are not getting enough volunteers. Food banks also get a large portion of their donations from supermarkets and grocery stores, but with people stocking up for themselves, donations are running low. Purchase limits are also hindering food banks. The U.S. is also preparing for a similar situation – food banks that are in the hardest hit cities in the U.S., such as Seattle, are starting to struggle with these same problems. Blood banks are also suffering heavily from COVID-19. Blood drives across the country have been canceled, but blood banks still need blood to save the lives of many. The Red Cross estimates, so far, that they have lost opportunities to collect over 8,000 pints of life-saving blood – a necessity that will be needed regardless of the current crisis.
Learn more about how tech can help us continue to give to those who need and save the lives of many during COVID-19 here.