#selfisolationhelp: 8,000 volunteers sign up to help most in need
Almost 8,000 volunteers have signed up to a support system designed to mobilise members of the community to help those in need during the coronavirus outbreak.
What began less than a fortnight ago as the Twitter hashtag #selfisolationhelp has mushroomed to such a degree that volunteers are making themselves available all over the country via the website www.localsupport.ie to carry out simple everyday tasks such as grocery shopping or picking up prescriptions, on behalf of those forced to self isolate.
Former BBC One executive and former director of RTÉ TV Helen O’Rahilly, who is one of the key people behind the movement, said they are in for the long haul.
“This is not some self-referential Twitter nonsense, this is a genuine effort to put in another layer of support on top of all the effort that’s already going on,” Ms O’Rahilly said.
Ms O’Rahilly, who recently returned home after 30 years in London, said she was inspired by the spirit of volunteering evident in Ireland and by a tweet from social media manager Samantha Kelly, aka @tweetinggoddess, who had started the hashtag #selfisolationhelp last Thursday week.
6725 volunteers are now saturating Ireland. Gobsmacked by the response. Thank you all. SMS now launched for non-online people who need help with food/meds delivery. Ad coming out 2moro here. Please give it a boost when you see it. https://t.co/uWl3zIEp61 #selfisolationhelp pic.twitter.com/96L0HhdQxZ
— Helen O'Rahilly (@HelenORahilly) March 18, 2020
The reaction on Twitter was so positive that Ms O’Rahilly felt its potential could be tapped.
She asked her friend, actor Chris O’Dowd, to re-tweet (he has 785,000 Twitter followers) “and by the next morning, it had gone into sixth gear”, Ms O’Rahilly said.
A number of fellow-professionals such as Gráinne Dwyer of Stori Creative in Skibbereen and freelance journalist Cóilín Duffy came on board, as well as Dave Bolger of Devhaus software company, leading to the development of the website www.localsupport.ie where people can now go to either register their offer of help or register a request for assistance.
Mr Duffy said they pair volunteers with people in need of help in the neighbourhood. He said the website also advises on best practice and HSE guidelines in terms of following social distancing and hand hygiene requirements when carrying out volunteer tasks.
Ms O’Rahilly said the movement is now attracting overseas interest.
She said herself and the small team running the operation are doing so between 7am and 11pm everyday, operating two to three hour shifts.
“I’m fully aware that there are already terrific volunteer groups out there, this is simply another layer,” she said.
“In my previous jobs I was used to dealing with crises, I’m a bit gobby, I’m here (in Ireland) and I have time, so I am in for the long haul.”
Ireland has come out in a rash of volunteers! 7000+ plus. Now we have a TEXT system for elderly/isolated people to ask for help. Monitored 7am-11pm. We are already matching volunteers with those in need of groceries/meds. https://t.co/uWl3zIEp61 #selfisolationhelp Please RT! pic.twitter.com/YLZFb9oE3x
— Helen O'Rahilly (@HelenORahilly) March 19, 2020
The team has also created a text service/voice messaging service for those who are not on line (contact: 087 3658233).
Mr Duffy said anyone willing to display graphics to spread the word about the service - such as supermarkets - should get in touch through the website.
