Facebook community resources for COVID-19 relief help and services

As India witnesses a spike in the number of COVID-19 cases, Facebook and WhatsApp extend support to people in need with several community groups to offer help at a time of crisis.

At a time when the second wave of COVID-19 looms large in the country, people express solidarity and leverage Facebook and WhatsApp to extend support and assistance to people in need through various community groups and services.

If there is a crisis, there are many communities, making an effort to help people with medical help, guidance, and facilities. Here's the list of the community groups active on Facebook and WhatsApp, across India...

Community Groups:

Humankind Global (previously Caremongers)

• Platform: Facebook
• Group Link: Click here.
• Expected support: The group connects people who need something and people who are willing to offer help.
• Locations available: Across India

World Maratha Organization

• Platform: Facebook
• Group Link: Click here.
• Expected support: Any support related to Medical help such as blood, plasma, hospital support, especially Covid
• Locations available: across Maharashtra

Network Capital

• Platforms: Facebook and WhatsApp
• Group Link: Click link 1, link 2
• Expected support:  24*7 volunteer-led efforts, Mental health, COVID-19 resource collaboration, COVID-19 job support with free mentoring hours
• Locations available: Metro cities and members are from across 100 countries

Also read: 3 ways to effectively use Twitter for COVID-19 relief

Gurgaon Helpline and Gurgaon Food Freak

• Platform: Facebook
• Group Link: Click here
• How to seek help?: Members help each other in finding hospital beds, medicine, plasma, doctors, and other information on an ongoing basis. In Gurgaon Food Freak, home chefs and members have come together to provide home-cooked food for COVID-struck families
• Expected support: From support on food and information of availability of beds, medicines, and plasma and more
• Locations available: Gurgaon
• How to reach out?: One can post the query on the group while members help each other

Powai Women Networking (PWN)

• Platform: Facebook
• How to seek help?: By posting queries of all kinds directly on the group. Queries get answered almost instantly.
• Expected support: The group name has the word 'Powai' but they extend support to members' families in other cities such as Delhi, Bangalore, Jaipur, Indore, Lucknow and even in Singapore, Bangkok, amongst others. They provide medical help (suggestions for doctors), business support, pregnancy/maternity related, kids welfare, women issues, financial as well. The group has helped a lot of people find what they were looking for (oxygen, food, donor, injection, etc.), even outside of Mumbai.
• Locations available: 90% of members are based in Mumbai currently.

Pune Covid Support Group

• Platform: Facebook
• Group Link: Click here
• How to seek help?: Directly post on the group. This group is made on two motives - seek help and support someone The idea is to share verified information and make Pune a COVID-free place soon.
• Expected support:  To find availability of beds, information on injections, plasma donors, how to stay safe, and take self-care at home. Food, grocery, medicine support along with volunteers dropping things if needed.
• Locations available: Pune

Fittr-Care

• Platform: Facebook
• Group Link: Click here
• How to seek help?: This community aims to connect people who are seeking medical advice with doctors/experts during times of COVID-19
• Expected support: Guidance from doctors and support to check the availability of essentials, beds, oxygen, and plasma
• Locations available:  Across India

You can also check out @LocalSamosa for all the updated information on sources to find help from.