The first Nelson Mandela International Day was held in New York on July 18, 2009 in honor of Mandela’s birthday. It was created to celebrate the idea that each individual has the power to transform the world and have a positive impact. Nelson Mandala was a single man and yet his personal impact was astounding. He was a man of many accolades including being a human rights lawyer, a prisoner of conscience, an international peacemaker, an iconic figure fighting South Africa’s apartheid regime, the name behind the phenomenon known as the Mandela Effect, AND he was the first democratically elected president of a free South Africa.
A popular practice for Nelson Mandela International Day is to spend 67 minutes of your time, just under an hour and a half, doing good in your community and helping others. This is in honor of the impact of Mandela’s 67 years of public service in his various positions. Since quarantine is still a wise choice given the rise in COVID-19 cases in Florida, below is a list of ideas on how you can assist your community and donate your time without endangering yourself or others.
Be My Eyes: a free iOS/Android app that allows you to help blind users handle visual tasks like reading foot labels or matching outfits. The app will alert you when someone is in need of help and you can pick up the request or ignore it as you wish; very low pressure and easy to do from home!
Help non-profits and research projects with transcribing, proofreading, and audio recordings: Zooniverse, the Smithsonian, work with Proofread Project as a Distributed Proofreader, record audiobooks for LibriVox – all of these sources are free and run almost entirely off volunteer efforts.
Have kids you need to entertain? Pull out the crafts and help your kids create individual cards with nice sayings to leave in your neighbors’ mailboxes! It’s a trying time, and everyone could use a kind word of “hello” and “I hope you’re well.” Additionally, you can help run the kids’ energy down by going walking through your neighborhood to drop off the notes. If you have a sidewalk, consider doing sidewalk art for all who walk by to see.
Become a pen pal to help seniors combat loneliness! You can contact local senior homes in your area to see if they have pen pal programs or would like to start one, or go to one of the following websites to sign up for a preexisting program: Reachout America, Pen Pal World, Retirement Online, and check out the #CareNotCOVID movement as well. Please note that the virus is highly unlikely to be spread by the mail but be certain to wash your hands after opening a new letter and before sending one to help keep seniors and immunocomprised people extra safe.
For additional volunteer opportunities specific to the Panhandle, check out Panhandle Home Health and Volunteer Match.
