Indianapolis volunteers work to help curb spread of COVID-19 by helping at-risk neighbors

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Concerns around coronavirus continue in the Circle City and a local woman is stepping up to get volunteers to help keep those most at risk safe. The woman organizing the effort works in social services but decided to take this step on her own and invite others to help.

“We are all in this together keep your chin up please practice social distancing when possible but also checking on people,” said Alicia Baker.

She launched the COVID-19 Indianapolis Response Thursday, but she is not doing it alone. So far about 500 have volunteered to help in an attempt to get ahead of the virus.

“We wanted to think of a way where we could utilize younger people who are less immune to the virus to be able to go out while still taking protective measures and care for those neighbors,” she said.

The plan is to partner young healthy adults with others who are more at risk: elders, those with compromised immune systems and parents with young children.

Volunteers and those who need help can sign up on the same website. They’ll be partnered based on zip code. She’s already reaching out to groups who perform similar tasks already to see where and if they might need additional support.

The volunteers will do things like run errands, get groceries and other supplies when members of the vulnerable community are unable to do it

“In most instances we are asking if you have the means necessary to pay for your own supplies. We are just running the delivery services. We are just a bunch of neighbors all out trying to support one another.”

For those who do volunteer, they’ll be asked to maintain social distancing and urged to follow other sanitation practices..

“When they drop off items that they spray it down with Lysol on their front porch and it’s left for 10 minutes before people collect it,” Baker said.

She said as we continue to navigate this new normal, she expects to see a bigger need for help.