COMMUNITY
Meet people helping their Midpeninsula neighbors during the pandemic From welfare checks to food and rent relief, their actions are reaching beyond the most vulnerable
W
hile the coronavirus has forced much of the community to hunker down at home for most of 2020, its arrival also has inspired some to go out of their way to take care of their neighbors. From launching food delivery programs and a rent relief fund to answering requests for random errands day or night, the actions of these individuals have not only helped some of the most vulnerable residents in the community but have galvanized hundreds of others to join their causes. People, who until recently may not have even known their neighbors, are now knocking on their doors, offering to walk their dogs, delivering them food and going to the grocery store for them. Here are five Midpeninsula residents who have made a difference in their communities during the pandemic.
Howard Kushlan
Ananya Karthik
entrepreneur
college student
He formed a volunteer service corps
She founded a volunteer network
Since early March, Howard Kushlan has spent his days — and some evenings — helping neighbors during the pandemic as part of a corps of volunteer residents that he unintentionally inspired to take action after sending a call out to those in need on social media. The Palo Alto resident knows the best place to get eggs, where to find Clorox wipes, who’s in need of distilled water for their sleep apnea machine, which neighbor has a prescription waiting to be picked up and just about every shopping policy at every food store in Palo Alto. “I just put a post up saying, ‘I’m happy to do whatever you need; if you need groceries, if you need shopping, if you need supplies, whatever,’” Kushlan said. “And then Photo by Magali Gauthier it just sort of caught on. Other people ran with it, and it’s taken on a life of its own.” Within the first month of the pandemic, Kushlan’s post inspired more than 200 residents from well beyond his downtown neighborhood to join in and volunteer to help vulnerable residents throughout the community. That number has held steady. Through a Google Doc that he set up, people can add new requests for assistance or remove requests that have been fulfilled. “It’s awesome. People just go in and get things done,” he said. Over the months, he’s seen an increase in delivery requests from seniors, most of whom have been living in isolation, he said. “There’s a lot of uncertainty, and so many people are out there that are scared and want help,” said Kushlan, who grew up in Palo Alto and now runs Crux, a marketing and political consulting firm. Kushlan said one silver lining from this experience is that he’s gotten to know his neighbors. “In times like these, you have to step outside your comfort zone, and that’s when people’s best is brought out,” he said.
Ananya Karthik was wrapping up her first winter quarter at Stanford University when she and 7,000 undergraduates were told the campus would be closing in March because of the spread of COVID-19. Despite the whirlwind change of becoming a fulltime, virtual student, she got to work creating an online volunteer network to deliver immediate aid to vulnerable residents in Santa Clara County. Santa Clara County Helping Hands has now connected hundreds of high-risk individuals with volunteers to bring them groceries, prescriptions and virtual companionship. The response for volunteers has been overwhelming, said Karthik, who matches volunteers with higher-risk individuals through the program’s website. “In this time of shelter in place and social distancing, we can help the community get through this pandemic together,” Karthik said. She described the effects of the pandemic for the elderly and immunocompromised as ranging from difficulty obtaining essential items to struggles with isolation and loneliness. Karthik found a large group of volunteers by reaching out to local organizations, including police departments, local media and mailing lists at her university. The project has been fulfilling for Karthik, who said she hasn’t yet figured out her future but hopes to find a career in community impact and learning how to best serve people’s needs. She’s talking with college students in Los Angeles and Seattle who are working on similar projects, as well Courtesy Ananya Karthik as several local organizations, and she hopes Santa Clara County Helping Hands can support the community far into the future. “Our work started in response to the crisis, but our long-term vision is to continue this work ... and help members of the community receive assistance and find companionship, a goal which I think extends beyond the immediate COVID-19 pandemic crisis,” she said.
— Linda Taaffe
— Bay City News Foundation Profiles continued on page 18 www.MountainViewOnline.com Info Mountain View • 17
