COVID-19

From the psychological toll of prolonged isolation to the danger posed even in gathering groceries without spreading infection, these days of confinement are difficult for many of our citizens. More than ever, people need to help each other.

That is why Give a Day, a Belgian social cooperative, is offering ImpactDays.co as a free tool which enables towns, regions and associations to set up their own online platforms to match volunteers with the needy in the context of the coronavirus crisis.

Towns and regions can customise their platform to offer appropriate services. Residents can make help requests and, by supplying their zip code, be put in touch with volunteers in their area.

The city of Leuven was the first to set up its platform using the tool. Leuven Helps, available in Dutch and English, enables potential volunteers to pitch in numerous ways, such as delivering groceries or medicine to the elderly, donating a laptop to tele-learning students or simply making Skype calls to lonely fellow residents.

Since the launch of ImpactDays.co on March 15, there has been exponential growth in the tool’s use. Over 240 towns and NGOs have set up their own platforms and some 25,000 volunteers have registered.

Use the tool in your city!

While, the majority of users are in Belgium, the tool can be used by cities and territories anywhere. Indeed, on the other side of the world, the District of Gore in New Zealand has set up its own Gore Helps platform. The website is available in all official EU languages, as well as Norwegian, Russian and Arabic, among others.

If your town, region or association would like to use the tool, be sure to go on the website or get in touch:

• Contact point for southern Europe (France, Switzerland, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Greece, Malta) and Africa: mathieu@giveaday.be or by phone +32 478 59 34 16
• Contact point for northern Europe (all countries not mentioned above): bart@giveaday.be or info@giveaday.be or by phone +32 497 06 01 64