Calgarian Ananya Parasor was struggling; she didn’t meet the criteria for federal benefits, but had been forced into quarantine.
Parasor was a support worker with Enable Community, helping people with disabilities connect with the community. Parasor was working with her client when she discovered that she was showing symptoms.
“I had symptoms because someone I worked with also had symptoms so I had to self Isolate,” Parasor said.
Her job couldn’t be done remotely, and food security issues were worsening.
“I was having trouble applying for CERB because I didn’t meet the criteria,” said Parasor.
“I was in a really tough spot financially and I was having food insecurities as well.”
It led Parasor to the city-wide Facebook group called YYC Covid-19 Volunteers. It’s a space where Calgarians can still post about the help they might need with anything from groceries to clothes, transportation, and general support.
Ananya Parasor is now one of the Facebook page’s moderators. She’s spending her time directing people to help on the page.
Groceries for all Calgarians
Share The Goods is another company operating in Calgary to provide support to Calgarians thought this difficult time.
They’re a one-time volunteer service that assesses your needs and connects you with a local volunteer ready to help.
This help comes in the form of getting food to some of the Calgarians hardest hit by COVID-19.
Since their launch in March of this year, Elyse Sanders and Josiane Meadows have created a base of 1,100 volunteers.
“We saw a need that we could fill by organizing volunteers to help people,” said Sanders.
There are four main ways that Share The Goods creates opportunities for people to help: Online delivery, In-store pickup, personal delivery and grocery gift cards.
Sanders says over 2,200 connection have been made and the list of applications continues to grow.
She says that even though times are tough, people have really come together to support one another.
