Helping Essential Workers Through the Pandemic and Beyond
With COVID-19 cases plateauing in Northern Virginia, Maryland school districts possibly holding in-person classes in the upcoming school year as appropriate, and The National Gallery of Art and National Zoo reopening this week, all in the midst of high infection and hospitalization rate across the DMV area, it is clear that the COVID-19 pandemic will continue to bring a new set of challenges over the coming months. MD COVIDsitters (MDCS) remains committed to supporting essential workers and their families throughout this situation and afterward.
Over the last few months, MDCS has forged partnerships and will be collaborating with several organizations including Baltimore Health Professionals Mutual Aid Cooperative, The Medical Society of the District of Columbia, Neighborhood Health, University of Maryland Medical Center, Holy Cross Health, and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Graduate Medical Education program. MDCS has created several robust, volunteer-driven programs to serve the community during this time and is working to build on this foundation and become a valuable resource for current and future COVID surges, pandemics, and other crises where an increased demand in healthcare workers could occur. With long-term goals in mind, MDCS has recently undergone various organizational changes expanding their initially 14 member executive board to now include 33 members to drive their operations.
A volunteer organization made up of medical and undergraduate students, MDCS is a member of the COVIDsitters Network and offers a variety of free services to help essential workers as they face more unpredictable and stressful schedules. The largest of these is their child care program, which pairs each family to a volunteer or group of volunteers who can provide safe, in-home daycare at any time of day. In addition, MDCS also offers Pet Care, Tutoring for school-aged children, Errands, and Online Classes in art, exercise, and more. Most of their volunteers are aspiring healthcare professionals and CPR-certified, and all are required to complete both a background check and childcare program developed by the Minnesota Department of Health before starting. At MDCS, the safety of volunteers and essential worker families is top priority with their risk mitigation team enforcing the latest CDC guidelines and volunteers undergo screening prior to starting in-person assignments. The work of MDCS and their sister chapters has been featured in publications such as USA Today, The Southern Maryland Chronicle, and WFMZ News.
Learn more about MD COVIDsitters and sign up for their services here.
Sources:
Staff, NBC Washington. “Coronavirus in DC, Maryland, Virginia: What to Know on July 23.” NBC4 Washington, NBC4 Washington, 23 July 2020, www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/coronavirus-in-dc-maryland-virginia-what-to-know-on-july-23/2369810/.
