Volunteering Guidelines as you #fightCorona

Volunteers

In response to the unprecedented threat of COVID-19  iVolunteer recommends volunteers to abide by the notification issued by the Government of India (accessible on: www.mygov.in/covid-19) and local administration for common public. Corona presents many new challenges and volunteers will need to support in novel ways. We advise most individuals to undertake virtual volunteering projects. (Contact neha@iVolunteer.in if you are a compay which wants to engage its employees in virtual volunteering)

For those who undertake volunteering that requires physical presence, the following are recommended: 

• Must be fit, healthy and prepared for the volunteering task in all respects,
• Use adequate protection including masks, gloves and practices like social distancing and sanitisation as advised by the health authorities
• Do not participate in a personal volunteer program 
  • with anyone who may have cough, fever, or respiratory problems,
  • if you have heart, diabetes, or respiratory or other chronic diseases,
  • Over 65,
  • if you or anyone in your community has traveled to a country affected by a coronavirus infection in the last 3 months,
  • if you or anyone in your community has been diagnosed with coronavirus.

Organisers

Any organisation must also understand that they takes the responsibility of protecting its community, teams and volunteers. We recommend a volunteer program with physical involvement in this situation only if:

• Organisers have analysed the risk, assessed the program needs and made all necessary preparations,
• Volunteer engagement abides by relevant regulations as announced by government authorities,
• Volunteers can be provided with the necessary support, preparation and training including:
  • appropriate amount and quality of protective equipment (eg mask and rubber gloves)
  • hand washing and hand disinfection before and during the program,
  • prevention rules are posted in the appropriate format at the program site (flyer, poster)
  • washbasins and common areas have been properly disinfected,
• It excludes gathering, activities in closed places frequented by many people,
• Use of public transport can be minimised.

iVolunteer would urge all citizens to try and help wherever and whenever they can, especially the elderly people living alone. Volunteering to help others is needed more now,  possibly in different ways.