Here at the United Way of Genesee County, serving Genesee and Shiawassee Counties, we are closely watching new developments on the spread of COVID-19. Maintaining the health of volunteers, employees, and vulnerable communities is the top priority while planning for COVID-19. When thinking about volunteer events that have been planned in the upcoming weeks, we encourage our partner organizations and volunteer groups to prioritize best health practices and minimizing exposure.
For our part, the United Way will not be hosting any volunteer events, and our staff will not be engaging in any volunteer activities, until further notice.
For Nonprofit Partners
If the activities for which you are using volunteers are not essential, mission-critical activities, you may want to consider cancelling the activities, especially if they involve large groups of people in confined spaces.
If the activities are essential, and the volunteer groups are still willing to come volunteer with you, please make sure you have plenty of disinfectant cleaners, sanitizing products, and hand soap. If you continue with volunteer activities, please encourage volunteers to be cautious and pay attention to their health - if they are sick or concerned about their health, please ask them not to participate.
For Volunteer Groups/Corporate Partners
Please work with the organization with which you will be volunteering to determine if the work is mission-critical, and if it still is the best course of action to move ahead with the volunteer service project. If you continue with the planned activities, please encourage volunteers to be cautious and pay attention to their health - if they are sick or concerned about their health, please ask them not to participate.
If you decide to cancel an in-person volunteer project, here are a few recommendations for how to still stay engaged:
Leverage your workplace as a workspace:
Kit-packing solutions can be packed by your employee-volunteers and distributed without your employees leaving the workplace. This will ensure that you can still serve your nonprofit partners while keeping employees engaged. How to get started?
Confirm participants are healthy and that you are following government guidelines work with nonprofit partners to assure you are providing requested and needed support.
The United Way of Genesee County can provide ideas and guides for our Service-In-A-Box projects which can be completed by your team on-site
Order supplies or identify ready-made solutions that can be sourced online.
If you can't go "outside", tackle an "inside" project:
Take this time to upskill organizational learning. Much like a rainy day, if you can't go "outside," tackle an "inside" project. Use this opportunity to engage your employees in learning about community challenges, bringing in virtual speakers and experts, developing ideas for future projects, supporting efforts like the U.S. Census and voting initiatives. Can you hold focus group experiences with employees to gather feedback and ideas? Finding time to listen and learn now can provide rapid-improvement solutions and breakthrough ideas for your volunteerism efforts. The United Way of Genesee County is happy to be a resource and partner with you in these efforts, and we're happy to join you virtually!
Please follow guidelines released by the CDC to prevent the spread of illness:
Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
Stay home when you are sick.
Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray
or wipe.
Follow CDC's recommendations for using a facemask.
o CDC does not recommend that people who are well wear a facemask to protect themselves
from respiratory diseases, including COVID-19.
o Facemasks should be used by people who show symptoms of COVID-19 to help prevent the
spread of the disease to others. The use of facemasks is also crucial for health workers and
people who are taking care of someone in close settings (at home or in a health care facility).
Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the
bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
o If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least
60 percent alcohol. Always wash hands with soap and water if hands are visibly dirty.
