Ways you can help others in southwestern Illinois survive coronavirus pandemic
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Looking for ways to help during the coronavirus pandemic?
Here’s a list of opportunities to volunteer your time or donate to help communities in the metro-east without putting yourself or others at risk.
If you know of a recognized charitable organization looking for help that isn’t listed here, please tell us about it; send an email to newsroom@bnd.com or fill out the BND’s Southwest Illinois coronavirus service and assistance guide online at BND.com.
Sew cloth face masks for hospital patients, visitors
St. Elizabeth’s Hospital is accepting sewn face masks from anyone who already has the supplies at home and is willing to make them. The hospital noted that it doesn’t want volunteers to violate the governor’s stay-at-home order by going out to buy supplies. That order for people to remain largely in their homes except for essential errands is in effect until May 30.
The homemade masks will be used at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in O’Fallon by visitors and those with outpatient appointments who don’t have COVID-19.
The hospital asks that the masks be made with either elastic or cotton straps and that volunteers bundle no more than 25 together in sealed zip lock bags.
Directions for making face masks can be found at steliz.org/COVID-19-Updates/How-to-Help.
St. Elizabeth’s will post on its Facebook page when there are updates about drop-off locations. You can also call HSHS St. Elizabeth’s Foundation at 618-234-2120, ext. 12446 to ask about locations.
Staff who care for people with disabilities need masks, too
The 15 nurses and 150 staff members at Beverly Farm in Godfrey need face masks.
You can donate the official personal protective equipment made for health care workers or you can make it yourself. Beverly Farm will use handmade, sewn masks, too.
The nonprofit provides a home for more than 350 adults who have developmental and intellectual disabilities.
It is also asking for donations of arts and crafts the residents could do while sheltering in place, as well as activities focused on science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Donations can be dropped off at 6301 Humbert Road in Godfrey in the administration building. Contact chinkle@beverlyfarm.org for drop-off alternatives.
Donate supplies to St. Louis area hospitals caring for COVID-19 patients
BJC Healthcare and SSM Health are accepting donations of medical supplies to help their hospital staff care for people who have tested positive for the COVID-19 respiratory disease.
A list of needed supplies and drop-off locations is available at BJC.org/CoronavirusDonations. The website is being updated daily, so donors are asked to check online before traveling to a donation site.
Hospitals have a high demand for some items, including FDA-approved surgical masks or N95 masks, as well as infrared or forehead thermometers with disposable covers. They are also asking for hand sanitizer and sanitizing wipes, among other supplies.
As of May 1, donations could be dropped off from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday at the main entrances of Memorial Hospital Belleville and Memorial Hospital East in Shiloh. The St. Clair County Health Department operations center was also accepting donations; call 618-825-2682 to arrange a drop-off there.
Call area seniors or donate money for their meals
O’Fallon-based AgeSmart is seeking volunteers to either help deliver meals to home-bound seniors or to talk to them on the phone, providing reassurance and company during the pandemic. If you’re interested, send an email to ask@agesmart.org.
The organization is also asking for monetary donations to help pay for more seniors’ meals. According to AgeSmart, it is getting requests now from people who haven’t used the meal delivery service before.
A donation of $25 provides five meals; $100 provides 20 meals; and $500 provides 100 meals, the nonprofit said.
You can make a donation online at https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/1405042.
Record yourself reading for people with vision loss
Belleville-based MindsEye is looking for volunteers to record themselves reading from newspapers, books, magazines and other material. The recordings will be broadcast on MindsEye Radio for people who are visually impaired.
If you have a microphone and a laptop and are interested in recording the news or entertainment programming, contact Tom Williams at 618-394-6446 or twilliams@mindseyeradio.org.
Another way to help MindsEye is by making a monetary donation online at mindseyeradio.org/donate so that anyone can listen to the programming for free.
Donate meals for Illinois Center For Autism families
The Illinois Center For Autism is seeking nonperishable food items for the families who rely on the nonprofit for breakfast and lunch each day.
Donations boxes are set up outside the main entrance at the Fairview Heights campus, 548 South Ruby Lane.
If you include your contact information with your food donation, the nonprofit will send a thank you note later.
Donate dinners for children in St. Clair, Madison counties
Belleville-based Project Compassion is asking for food donations to be able to provide sack dinners for children in St. Clair and Madison counties after their school districts deliver breakfast and lunch each day.
The nonprofit is collecting instant noodle cups, hot dogs and buns, juice and snacks like cookies or chips, as well as silverware and napkins.
Food donations can be dropped off Monday-Friday at the Compassionate Cafe, 6611 West Main St. in Belleville. Call 618-397-1790 or email compassion@projectcompassionnfp.org to arrange a drop-off time and an employee will meet you at your car to collect the donations.
Project Compassion is also accepting monetary donations to purchase food. Make a donation online at projectcompassionnfp.org or through mobile apps Venmo or Cash App. The nonprofit’s usernames are @PCNFP on Venmo and $ProjectCompassion on Cash App.
Donate money for food pantry supplies or volunteer to staff it
The Collinsville Food Pantry has stopped accepting food donations during the coronavirus outbreak. You can still help by making a monetary donation online or by mail so the food pantry can purchase supplies directly from vendors, who have strict health codes, especially during the pandemic.
Donations can be sent online at collinsvillefoodpantry.org, through PayPal or mailed to 201 E. Church St. in Collinsville.
Anyone interested in volunteering to staff the food pantry can call 618-346-1861 to find out whether or not they need help on certain days.
Donate essentials or help deliver to Madison County residents in need
Helping Hearts Grow needs donations of bread, milk and toilet paper for Madison County residents who have registered for emergency services through the nonprofit.
It also needs empty egg cartons to deliver the dozens of donated eggs it has received to families in the area.
Roughly half of those served by Helping Hearts Grow are seniors. Many of them fear attempting to shop for themselves during the coronavirus pandemic because they are among the most vulnerable to the respiratory disease, according to the organization.
Food and supply donations can be dropped off at Scott Credit Union locations.
Helping Hearts Grow is also using the old Riverbend Billiards building at 909 E. Broadway in Alton as a drop-off location; contact Rachel Porter-Hunter at rachel@helpingheartsgrow.org to arrange a time to bring your donations there.
You can also help by delivering the food and supplies to Madison County families from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Send an email to Porter-Hunter to volunteer to be a driver.
Donate food, hygiene products for Belleville area families
Community Interfaith Food Pantry in Belleville is asking for donations of food and personal hygiene items for families in Belleville, Swansea and Shiloh who can’t afford them.
Here’s the food pantry’s wish list from its website, feedbelleville.org:
▪ Personal hygiene items: Shampoo, soap, deodorant, toothpaste, toothbrushes, feminine hygiene products, combs and razors.
▪ Canned items: Vegetables, beans, soups, pasta sauce, tuna, stew and chili.
▪ Box meals: Hamburger Helper, macaroni and cheese, stuffing, pasta or rice.
▪ Breakfast items: Pancake mixes, syrup and cereal.
▪ Other pantry staples: Peanut butter, jelly, ketchup, mayo, mustard, cooking oil, flour, sugar, coffee, tea, hot chocolate mix, corn muffin mix, cake mix, frosting, salt and pepper.
The food pantry’s staff also need donations of face masks, disposable gloves and rubbing alcohol or wipes. It will accept purchased or homemade masks.
Donations can be dropped off at the back of the building at 1218 W. Main St. in Belleville from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Mondays, Thursday and Fridays or from 8-11 a.m. on Tuesdays and Saturdays.
Donate money to food pantry that helps O’Fallon, Shiloh residents
The O’Fallon Food Pantry is accepting monetary donations to help it serve residents of O’Fallon and Shiloh in the 62269 ZIP code.
The donations can be made payable to the O’Fallon Food Pantry and sent to the O’Fallon Township Building at 801 E. State St. in O’Fallon.
The pantry is located at the same address, offering drive-thru only service.
Donate money to social service agency or apply to work there
Social service agency Hoyleton Youth and Family Services needs monetary donations to fund the care it provides for foster children and families, along with other community programs offered there.
You can make a donation online at hoyleton.org.
While other businesses have had to lay off staff during the coronavirus pandemic, Hoyleton Youth and Family Services is hiring. Several full- and part-time positions are available in Fairview Heights, Belleville, Hoyleton and Salem, according to the nonprofit. Visit hoyleton.org/careers to learn more.
Donate food, supplies to organization that helps people who are homeless
St. Vincent de Paul’s Belleville Council needs food for sack lunches, hand sanitizer, bleach wipes, gloves and face masks, including homemade, sewn masks.
The organization will use donated items to help people who are homeless through its overnight drop-in center and other programs.
Donations can be dropped off at 13 Vieux Carre in East St. Louis.
The nonprofit is accepting monetary donations online at svdpsouthil.org.
Donate household supplies for transitional housing programs
Call for Help needs household supplies during the coronavirus pandemic for its two transitional housing programs that serve people who are homeless.
The nonprofit is asking for donations of hand sanitizer, cleaning products, gloves, masks for ill residents, thermometers, toilet paper, paper towels, tissues, disposable utensils, laundry detergent and liquid dish soap.
The items will help Call for Help’s Transitional Living Center for homeless mothers and their children and the Community Stabilization Program for homeless adults.
Set up an appointment to drop off donations by sending a text message to 731-599-7864 or an email to development@callforhelpinc.org.
Call for Help also accepts monetary donations online at callforhelpinc.org/donate and by mail to 9400 Lebanon Road in East St. Louis.
If you have questions about donations, contact info@callforhelpinc.org.
Donate activities for people with developmental disabilities, mental health problems
Human Support Services is asking for donations of games, puzzles, adult coloring books, word searches, craft supplies, magazines, books or tablets.
Those supplies will be used by the 78 people who have developmental disabilities and serious mental health issues served by Human Support Services in their Monroe County homes.
Contact lchandrl@hss1.org to schedule a way to drop off donations.
Buy a T-shirt or yard sign to help hospital respond to COVID-19
HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital Highland has partnered with HeartsForHealthcare.com to raise money for the HSHS St. Joseph’s Foundation.
By visiting heartsforhealthcare.com, people can purchase Hearts for Healthcare Workers yard signs and T-shirts to benefit local COVID-19 response efforts. Yard signs can also be purchased locally at Rural King in Highland.
For every sign and T-shirt purchased by residents in Highland and its surrounding communities, heartsforhealthcare.com will donate $5 to the St. Joseph’s Highland Foundation.
Funds raised from this initiative will be available to help the local hospital with added costs associated with COVID-19 response efforts, such as the purchase of additional personal protective equipment, unique equipment rental, additional sanitation supply purchases and colleague emergency assistance funds.
Buy a T-shirt or sweatshirt to provide meals for front-line workers
O’Fallon has started “O-Town Proud,” a grassroots movement to honor local medical professionals, police, fire, EMS and communications personnel and support local businesses.
You can buy a light gray T-shirt, sweatshirt or hooded sweatshirt emblazoned with the navy logo “O-Town Proud” to help. All of the proceeds from the clothing will be used to purchase gift cards from local restaurants, which will then be given to health care workers and first-responders.
The tops range in price from $14 to $25. To purchase O-Town T-shirts or make a donation, visit otownproud.com.
Donate pet food for local strays or foster one
St. Clair TNR & Rescue needs volunteers to foster stray cats and dogs before they’re adopted. Anyone who is interested in taking in a foster cat or dog can email tnrandrescue@gmail.com or call 314-339-7481.
The rescue group is also asking for donations of Purina Cat Chow, which can be dropped off by the red gate at 3067 Plum Hill School Road in Belleville.
You can make a monetary donation to help support St. Clair TNR & Rescue online at stclairtnrandrescue.vistaprintdigital.com.
Donate supplies for foster dogs, cats or money for their care
The Belleville Area Humane Society is accepting donated supplies for its foster animals, including crates, leashes and dog beds. Other needed items are listed on its website at bahspets.org/donate/donate-items.
You can also make a monetary donation to help the organization care for animals in the community. Make a donation online at bahspets.org/donate/donate-money or by mail to 1301 S. 11th St. in Belleville.
Supplies can be dropped off at the nonprofit’s front or back gates at 1301 South 11th St. If you are dropping off food, the Belleville Area Humane Society asks that you leave it there before 3 p.m.
Order supplies for stray animals online with Amazon
You can order supplies for the animals Gateway Pet Guardians and its fosters take care of from your home.
The nonprofit set up a wish list on Amazon that includes items like leashes, treats and chew toys. The orders will be shipped to an employee’s home at checkout.
The wish list can be found at amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/1G80HP1L8QRGI/ref=hz_ls_biz_ex.
Donate money to McKendree for students’, staff’s online transition
McKendree University in Lebanon is seeking monetary donations to its newly-created Emergency Response Fund.
The donations could be used for financial aid, health and counseling services and new technology for online classes and staff who are telecommuting, according to the university. Money from the Emergency Response Fund will also support essential staff who remain on campus, McKendree stated on its website.
Make a donation online at giving.mckendree.edu/emergencyresponse or by calling 618-537-6824.
BND contributor Lynn Venhaus provided information for this article.
This story was originally published March 24, 2020 at 2:16 PM.
