Community now is more important than ever.

In the next few weeks, and even months, our communities will continue to face a lot of uncertainty. And in times of such frightening and unprecedented uncertainty, it is easy to think only of ourselves. But at ReCity, we believe in the power of proximity to create empathy and spark collaboration. COVID-19 is a new challenge for all of us, but we believe the power of proximity is just as necessary now as ever.

The question is, How can we stay proximate to the vulnerable when love demands that we practice “social distancing?” 

The answer? While the physical proximity to our neighbor needs to change, what shouldn’t change is our proximity to the needs of our neighbor.

In the coming weeks, as you make the difficult—but important—choices to practice social distancing, don’t let that distancing turn into complete withdrawal. Stay proximate to the vulnerable in your community in these three ways:

• 1. Practice Social Distancing: Here’s some practical tips.

• 2. Educate Yourself: Why COVID-19 will hit marginalized groups the hardest.

• 3. Get Proximate Through Service: While in-person support is (rightly) limited, there are many other ways to show up for and connect with your community. See below:

How to Serve

Our network takes a cross-sector approach to social impact: we partner with nonprofits, businesses, and the faith community to holistically address injustices in our communities. We have divided support and service opportunities by those same categories below.

This is a dynamic and every-changing list, as the needs in our communities shift and the available resources adapt to fill them. Please reach out to info@recitynetwork.org with other opportunities and resources.

1. Food Resources

• Communities in Partnership’s Food Co-Op: This member-owned food co-op serves over 300 households with 97% of their members living at or below the poverty line. They are looking for financial support to increase the frequency of their food distribution. Click here to donate.

• Food Bank of Central and Eastern NC: A generous donor has agreed to match all March donations - your donated dollars will go twice as far this month. You can donate here.

• DPS Foundation: Providing support to students so that no one goes hungry or falls behind as school schedules continue to change. You can donate here. See a list of Grab & Go meal sites starting March 23rd.

• Table NC: Delivering bags of healthy food to 727 kids once per week. You can give financially or buy items off of their Amazon shopping list.

• Porch Durham: You can donate here to help provide supplemental food to families facing hunger in Durham County.

2. Housing Resources

• Urban Ministries of Durham: You can donate here or buy items from their COVID-specific Amazon wishlist.

• Families Moving Forward: Seeking monetary donations & gift cards to support their residents.

• Housing for New Hope: You can donate here to support their residents that have limited access to food & supplies.

• Durham Rescue Mission: Currently serving 450 men, women, and children, while still accepting new check-ins. You can give financially or donate items from this list.

3. Childcare/Educational Resources

• Free Educational Resources: You can refer to these free resources for children that are at home during school closures.

• How to Talk to Children about the Coronavirus: Use these tips to guide your conversations with children.

4. Employment Resources

• StepUp Durham: StepUp clients but need support to maintain stable employment - donate here to get them the supplies they need.

5. Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault Resources

• StandUp SpeakOut - NC: This ReCity partner has seen a spike in referrals since many victims of DV/SA are at home with their abusers. They are seeking funds to support this influx of clients. Donate here!

• Durham Crisis Response Center: DCRC helps victims of domestic abuse, sexual assault, human trafficking, and exploitation through their 24 hour help-line, Family Justice Center, and emergency shelter. You can donate to support their efforts here.

• Information for Survivors, Communities, and Programs : A list of informative resources so that you have the knowledge you need when serving victims of DV/SA.

Here is ReCity’s Black-Owned Business Guide and here is a growing list of Durham businesses that you can support by:

1. Ordering no-contact delivery (as long as it’s available & safe)

2. Buying gift cards now for later use

Support Opportunities and Resources

• The Culinary Femme Collective: An initiative by Communities in Partnership to support local, female-owned food businesses, with an emphasis on femmes of color: Sour Bakery, Piri Durham, and So Good Pupusas. You can learn how to support these businesses here.

• Click here to donate to Zweli’s Kitchen, a local Zimbabwean restaurant. Zweli’s stepped up to the plate to feed residents of McDougald Terrace when the housing complex was evacuated in January. Now, they are facing uncertainty and seeking support. Read more here.

• Creating Social Distance: donate to Service Industry Workers Advocates of NC to support service industry workers that are facing unemployment as businesses close.

• Durham Artist Relief Fund: artists that rely on events or concerts to make a living are facing indefinite unemployment. Help them make ends meet here.

• NC Department of Commerce, Division of Employment Security: An FAQ sheet for individuals facing unemployment.

Here are some resources provided by ReCity faith partners:

• DurhamCares published a thoughtful resource guide for faith leaders and congregations. Read here: Loving Our Neighbors in the Face of COVID-19

• The Summit Church has posted opportunities for service in Orange, Durham, and Wake counties.

• Riding Out the Storm Together: This article by The Chalmer’s Center provides encouragement & tips for lovingly confronting the realities of COVID-19 as a faith community.