From software companies to local restaurants, businesses across the nation have shifted away from their typical operations and are aiding health care workers fighting against the coronavirus pandemic. Though several companies lack the financial ability to fund medical research and equipment manufacturing, they are using their existing services to support health care workers.
Airbnb leads hospitality industry in offering free housing to essential workers.
Health care workers around the world currently risk exposing the virus to their families after interacting with patients on a daily basis, requiring them to self-isolate. Airbnb recently began paying homeowners to house medical workers and essential personnel in their uninhabited vacation properties.
Aside from Airbnb, thousands of hotel chains around the nation have joined an initiative called “Hospitality for Hope”, offering over 3.4 million hotel rooms to medical workers.
Crocs and other companies are offering free shoes to essential workers.
Although Crocs are now synonymous with casualwear, its ergonomic design has also made it useful for medical workers maintaining a physically-demanding schedule on a daily basis. The company has made a pledge to donate thousands of Crocs to support workers and provide them with footwear.
Other companies donating shoes to frontline workers include Puma, Ugg and Nike.
HospitalHero and other technology-based startups are offering services to essential workers.
As a response to the pandemic, coders in Silicon Valley developed software to connect health care workers with volunteers who are available to run errands. Medical personnel submit a form through the website, requesting services such as meal deliveries, grocery runs and clothing. Their form is then sent to a volunteer who can fulfill their requests.
Several volunteers around the country are working to develop apps to help mitigate the economic effects of the virus. These initiatives include telemedicine apps and ways to increase connectivity between health care workers and their families.
Starbucks and other food-service chains are offering meals to essential workers.
Starbucks has announced that they will provide free beverages to essential workers in all of their brick-and-mortar locations nationwide.
Other food service chains offering free or discounted food to essential workers include Taco Bell, Dunkin’, McDonald’s and Sweetgreen.
From articles of clothing to food to housing and transportation, companies across the nation are coming together to support healthcare workers in the fight against COVID-19.
