It’s probably safe to say that most of us haven’t lived through a global pandemic. The times we are in are new to us all. We are navigating through the unknown together. It’s very easy at the moment to be paralyzed by fear. The news is constantly changing, and we hear from our leaders that we need to self-isolate, to stay home, to leave large spaces between us. This goes against our very nature as humans. We desire connection and fellowship.
Most of our normal coping mechanisms are gone. We can’t go out to restaurants or gather together as friends or churches. Many of us can’t go to the grocery store or do many of the things that we once did. We are grieving the cancellations of weddings, graduations, funerals and school. Our normal rhythm has been disrupted, and we are grieving the loss of normalcy and of connection.
Support systems have been upheaved and lost along with so much of our independence and our feeling of control. We have lost even the safety of taking Communion or shaking hands and feeling the reassuring squeeze or comforting hug of a friend. Not only do we have a sense of fear and isolation, but also of helplessness. This leaves us saying, “What can we do?”
There is so much powerlessness in the air right now.
The thing is, every one of us is individually experiencing this collectively. None of us are actually alone in these feelings of fear, helplessness or isolation. As cliché as it sounds, we are all in this together.
So, now, we have a choice: let the fear paralyze us or push through it and find meaningful ways to love each other.
But how can we push through it? Are there any tools out there right now to help us do so? That is where Get-Support comes in.
Designed and provided by World Hope International and powered by Disaster Tech, the Get-Support tool has been built to meet exactly this need. It provides a practical way for us to love our neighbors in our community. As churches and community organizations, we know we have people who need help and people who want to help — this tool allows them to connect directly through your organization.
For those of you who are wanting to help, who are looking for a way to make a difference right now, this is the tool for you.
For those who are struggling, facing unexpected needs, feeling isolated and needing prayer, the Get-Support tool allows you to anonymously share your needs and see them met. It’s a place to match your needs with people who want to help. This platform will empower and mobilize communities to ensure that no one is truly alone.
In asking for help, you give someone else the opportunity to act with purpose and “do something” instead of feeling helpless themselves. Everyone is empowered and able to love their neighbor as themselves and to be blessed doing so.
Get-Support works at the community level. Churches, faith-based organizations, and nonprofits register for free as an organization for this tool, and then each organization is able to customize the roll-out for their community.
If your church wants to do something to help, this is the tool for you. It empowers you to empower your community members. This platform removes the administrative load of you having to find a volunteer for every individual request for support. Now your community members can directly post their needs and other community members can directly respond. Leaders can still do what they need to do and give the chance for volunteers to step up and take charge.
Get-Support is offered free of charge for faith-based and non-profit organizations, and it is easy to set up. It is a mobile-friendly web-based tool that doesn’t require much Internet bandwidth and is simple and secure for users.
For those in the United States, learn more or sign up here. For those in Canada, click here. For those in Australia, click here.
Let’s get through this together and come out stronger as communities and as the body of Christ.
Heather Bandy serves as donor and administrative services specialist at World Hope International Canada. Heather Hill serves as director of communications and marketing for World Hope International.
