Want to help fight COVID-19 but don't know how?
If you're in a stable financial situation, consider pledging part of your $1,200 stimulus check to neighbors affected by COVID-19. Every little bit helps.
We are about one month into our state-wide quarantine due to COVID-19 and wanted to share a bit of good news. Some friends of ours have launched an initiative called Pledge My Check, which has had strong response right out the gate! We are moved to see that the new normal entails people defining for themselves how much is enough and redistributing their surplus (one of Holmgren’s three permaculture ethics!)
We encourage you to participate, either by requesting funds to support yourself or your cause or by donating your surplus. The Eco-Institute does rely on donations to operate (especially right now when our programming is on hold). If you feel moved to donate to our efforts, we gladly accept your generosity. We also celebrate your giving to others as you feel led.
We share this news with you here because it is so closely aligned with two of our core teachings: community resilience and permaculture. Permaculture? Yes… social permaculture.
Read more about Pledge My Check
Monday April 20, 2020 - Raleigh, NC: Last week, the United States government began issuing stimulus checks to Americans and a group of volunteers from North Carolina launched a new website called Pledge My Check to encourage people in stable financial positions to donate part of their stimulus checks to help people affected by COVID-19.
In the first week, over $18,000 was pledged from 37 people across 11 states. Individuals are encouraged to donate directly to the people, causes, or organizations they support because Pledge My Check is not accepting donations directly so 100% of everyone's pledges reaches their intended recipient.
Similar efforts have launched across the United States supporting a variety of causes. Currently, Pledge My Check reports the largest sum of pledges is being directed to local causes, primarily addressing food insecurity through Feeding America’s network of food banks and their affiliated food pantries across the country. Many people are donating directly to waiters, neighbors, and community members.
"The idea is to encourage folks to pledge in a way that is life-giving to them and others," said Jordan Bowman, who leads a local nonprofit organization. He added, "There is complete freedom in how people pledge but we are encouraging them to consider local causes and to be creative in how they can use this money to support their neighbors, nonprofits, and small businesses."
Kirsten donated $1,200.00 sharing, “My husband and I decided to donate 50% of our total checks. We've made monthly gifts to several organizations. These are: Heifer International, UNICEF, The Arts and Science Center of South East Arkansas, Doctors Without Borders.”
Other highlighted organizations include: Meals on Wheels, DonorsChoose.org, and GiveDirectly. Organizations can create their own custom pledge pages to encourage their volunteers and donors to pledge their stimulus checks to their organizations for free.
This initiative is the work of a growing volunteer team based out of Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina. “This project is all about bringing out the best in our communities,” commented one of the project’s creators, Ryan O’Donnell. He added, “When the stimulus checks were announced, I felt this was a simple way for people to help their neighbors.”
Lead designer, Bethany Faulkner, shared, “I'm fortunate to be in a stable financial situation. I wanted to help, and this stimulus check is an opportunity to redirect that vital financial support to those who need it most in our community. We built this tool to enable that and make it a community effort, even as we're separated in our own homes."
A full list of volunteers can be found here: www.pledgemycheck.org/#faq