How People Are Lending a Hand Amid Coronavirus Outbreak

Citizens of Milan take to their balconies on March 13 to serenade their neighbors; 10 days later, Italy had nearly 70,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and almost 7,000 dead

Alessandro Grassani—The New York Times/Redux

By TIME Staff

March 26, 2020 6:30 AM EDT

As the world goes into lockdown to slow the spread of COVID-19, many are volunteering their time and resources — and risking exposure to the potentially deadly virus — to help those most in need. From a cafe-owning family making meals for the elderly in Louisiana to homeless shelter residents making masks for hospital workers in Spain, here’s a look at everyday people finding ways to lend a hand amid the outbreak.

John Foster Gunter, owner of Word of Mouth Café in Louisiana, and his sons prepare free plate lunches for the elderly

Melinda Martinez—The Town Talk/USA Today Network/Reuters

Thuy Pham, Kati Barnett, and Jasmine Wall join others from a local Vietnamese Facebook group to make masks for donation to nearby hospitals and clinics in Tacoma, Washington

David Ryder—Reuters

In Budapest, civil guards deliver food to the homebound

Zoltan Balogh—EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

A volunteer cuts clear vinyl for assembling face shields as she and other volunteers meet an urgent need of local hospitals for personal protective equipment in Washington

David Ryder—Reuters

Matt Remle, a Native liaison with the now shut-down Marysville School District, delivers sack lunches to students on the Tulalip Indian Reservation in Washington State

David Ryder—Reuters

Residents of Casa Cádiz, a shelter for homeless people and refugees in Barcelona, produce face masks for use in hospitals and nursing homes

Samuel Aranda—The New York Times/Redux

Volunteers move bags of nonperishable food and supplies into a Belmont Council on Aging bus as part of distribution to senior citizens in need in Belmont, Mass.

M. Scott Brauer—Redux

A man distributes giant teddy bears along emptied streets in Paris on March 15, the first day of the city’s lockdown; nine days later, residents were allowed outside only for exercise once a day, within 1 km of their homes

Thomas Dworzak—Magnum Photos

From Making Masks to Delivering Food, See How Everyday People Are Helping Those in Need During the Coronavirus Outbreak