In our recent silver-lining posts, we saw how businesses and entrepreneurs alike are creating solutions to combat the novel COVID-19 virus. While those efforts are fantastic, it’s important to recognize that even the everyday, average samaritan can contribute in helping their communities. Below, we’ve compiled a list of 5 of some of the most “awww” worthy moments of good samaritans showing how far compassion can go!

Free Coffee!

Barista Ben Ramirez converted his 1-story window in San Francisco into a popup coffee shop, offering free, artisanal drinks to essential workers who passed by. In good social-distancing fashion, Ramirez uses a gorilla toy arm to pass down the coffee to his ‘customers’. Ramirez uses a simple sign that says “FREE COFFEE” outside his home to alert passerbyers to his act of kindness. He encourages all that have the time and means, as well as the room close enough to ground-level, to follow in his footsteps.

Coffee is our fuel, but what about actual gasoline?

While cities like New York are moving to freeze rent, the cost of gas for transportation still threatens the financial stability of many Americans. Thankfully, good samaritan Allen Marshall from Michigan is spending his own personal savings to buy gas for the nervous! Similarly to barista Ramirez featured above, Marshall stands outside his local gas station holding a “Free Gas for Nurses” sign. Marshall, you fuel both our cars and our spirits!

From P.M. to R.N.

Leo Varadkar, Prime Minister of Ireland, proved that leaders should be the change they want to see in the world. In true role model fashion, he rejoined Ireland’s medical register. Prior to his political campaign, Varadkar was trained as a general practitioner, and spent 7 years working in Saint James Hospital. The main bulk of his work will be handling phone assessments for hospitals to free up valuable time for the nurses on the front lines. Thank you Prime Minister Varadkar, you are a true inspiration!

Community Fridge

Across select areas of Brooklyn including Bedford Stuyvesant and Williamsburg, community fridges have opened up. Situated outside, these fridges allow community residents to donate their excess food and supplies for anyone in need to take them. It’s a food pantry by the people for the people, and such an easy, practical way to give back! Even the fridges themselves are donated by local restaurants and business owners.

Free Bagged Lunches
Perhaps one of the most devastating indirect effects of COVID-19 has been the loss of school-provided food to hundreds of thousands of children across America. As they say, it takes a village to raise a child, and that’s exactly what this community in Maryland is doing. On a tent-sheltered table in a suburban community in Severna Park is a picnic table littered with paper brown bag healthy lunches. The meals are available for anyone in need. The table is replenished daily by anonymous good samaritans, and usually runs out of stock by 1:30 PM. To whomever you are, we sincerely appreciate your generosity!