Ever heard of the term “caremongering”? It is obviously not in the dictionary but caremongering is more than just a word. It is a movement initiated by kind Canadians to serve communities in the country which are most at risk of coronavirus, a pandemic that the world is currently battling with.
The Opposite of Scaremongering
Coronavirus has killed thousands of people in various countries in just a couple of months. This fact makes people frightened and sadly, more rumors are being spread that scare humanity even more.
Apparently, scaremongering is not helping anyone and causing more panic among citizens. This is why Mita Hans, Valentina Harper and their friends thought about changing the word into something positive. Instead of scaring people and spreading false information, why not connect with each other and help the vulnerable communities?
Unexpected Outcome
The founder of the virtual community and caremongering movement, Valentina Harper, did not think that their initiative would be accepted by thousands of people. At first, they thought they would just have a couple of dozen people but surprisingly, they now have over 9,000 members.
Just like the virus, the caremongering initiative was contagious. People got inspired to help their communities and do something for people susceptible to virus-related health problems. They are also glad to be well-informed as the group also provides useful information like news articles and discussions about coronavirus.
Paul Viennu, a member of the caremongering group felt the trend “like a hug.” According to him, it is a great place to care for each other despite all the negative things on social media. It also makes him feel that isolation is normal.
“I have had a disability for the last 29 years, plus a compromised immune system. I live on hand sanitiser in normal circumstances. I started to worry about running out three days ago,” he said. However, with the help of the group, he was able to get his hands on sanitizers which he needs the most, especially during this time.
Stories of Caremongering amidst the Covid-19 Pandemic
Though the group’s main goal is to gather kind-hearted people willing to help communities, they also share “caremongering” stories outside their group. Thankfully, there are lots of other people in Canada and other countries who are doing simple acts of kindness in this time of fear, sickness and confusion.
One of the people who practice caremongering is Kyle Ashley, a caring fellow who works for an advertising company in Toronto. He posted a sign in a downtown building’s lobby offering whatever help he can do for others. He now uses his bike to go around the city to provide aid and assistance to anyone in need.
In Edmonton, there’s a group called “Isolation 4 Love” that delivers supplies to people in isolation. One of the volunteers, Michelle Zhang, said that this is their simple way of helping and encouraging people who are in isolation for 14 days.
Even students have their own ways of giving back to their community. Medical student Yashoda Valliere of Western University works with her classmates to help medical workers with child care and other needs. They believe that everyone has the chance to help others and social distancing is not equal to social isolation.
Looking Out for Each Other
Canada is known as a very polite country, according to Valentina. She also thinks that the wonderful thing about Canadians is that they know how to look out for each other.
With this caremongering trend, we hope that more kindness spread in the world, especially in the countries affected by the coronavirus. Through compassion, unity and love, we can fight this pandemic and find new hope after this tough battle.