This volunteer group uses social media to help the vulnerable during COVID-19

Concern for her 94-year-old grandmother in the wake of COVID-19 sparked a desire within entrepreneur Natalie “Bin” Narkprasert to establish COVID Thailand Aid, a volunteer group dedicated to helping the most vulnerable sector of society during these times—the poor, elderly and the disabled.

The organization’s Facebook Group actively gathers volunteers who want to help these individuals, particularly those who live alone, by bringing them essential items such as food, diapers, face masks, sanitizers and medication. Anyone can nominate a prospective beneficiary by indicating the latter’s information along with a list of items they need. COVID Thailand Aid volunteers will then work on getting these necessities either by crowd-sourcing or asking companies that can supply them.

The group’s main objective is to make sure their target sector has all they need to survive during the partial lockdown imposed by the government to slow down the pandemic. It has recently teamed up with Duang Prateep Foundation, an NGO with a mission to better the livelihood of slum dwellers, to donate essentials to more than 300 poor and elderly in the Klong Toei slums, one of the poorest neighborhoods in Bangkok.“The idea is to help people on a larger scale. It takes a lot more work, more companies to call. But it’s been very fulfilling,” says Natalie.

Find out how you can volunteer or donate here.