Many of us are wrestling with exhaustion, moral fatigue, and intense feelings of helplessness, loss, and sadness. You are not alone. While the world’s attention is on preventing and treating the physical symptoms brought on by COVID-19, we cannot ignore the psychological and emotional effects. We are all grieving and facing the unknown together. It is no wonder the term solidarity continues to ring loudly, urging us to come together, practice gratitude, and give – if we can.
The Marjorie Kovler Center in Chicago knows that without food, shelter, and safety, there can be little hope for preserving good mental health during or after this crisis. Since Illinois implemented the stay-at-home order in March, the Kovler Center has transitioned to telehealth services, assembled support committees to identify and fill needs, and launched a COVID-19 relief fund. Since the order was issued, we have mailed 70 emergency kits filled with facemasks, public transit passes, and gift cards for food and medicine, delivered 18 activity kits to families with small children, and provided 12 families with rental assistance.
While nearly 100 families have received assistance from the Kovler Center, more than 400 are still waiting as staff field new requests each day. We need your urgent help to maintain and expand critical services for some of Chicago’s most vulnerable communities – survivors of torture, asylum seekers, refugees, and immigrants. Communities that find themselves even more vulnerable than they were before the outbreak. Here are three ways you can stand in solidarity with us:
- Make a tax-deductible donation to the Kovler Center’s COVID-19 relief fund.
- Give to our online wish list for children and have supplies delivered to the Kovler Center.
- Raise awareness about the Kovler Center’s response to COVID-19 and ask your networks to donate: www.bit.ly/kovlercovidfund
You can read more about the Kovler Center’s response to COVID-19 as highlighted by Nature Research Journal, here.
