Canadians Start ‘Caremongering’ Facebook Groups to Help Vulnerable People During Coronavirus

Leave it to Canadians to come up with a way to continue to prove their niceness during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

BBC reports that a number of Canadians have joined "Caremongering" groups on Facebook. What do these "Caremongering" groups do? They deliver food or run errands for those whose health is most at risk if they contract COVID-19.

The first group was set up by Mita Hans and Valentina Harper in Toronto. Harper told BBC, "Scaremongering is a big problem. We wanted to switch that around and get people to connect on a positive level, to connect with each other. It's spread the opposite of panic in people, brought out community and camaraderie, and allowed us to tackle the needs of those who are at-risk all the time - now more than ever."

Since launching late last week, Hans and Valentina'a group now have over 9,000 memebers and over 35 other "Caremongering" groups have popped up on Facebook all throughout Canada.

"We thought we'd have a couple dozen people. It's grown to thousands," said Valentina. "But the most positive thing is the local groups that have started, geared to specific neighbourhoods. It's really shown us the need that people have to have some level of reassurance and hope. Anxiety, isolation and lack of hope affects you. In providing this virtual community which allows people to help each other, I think it is really showing people there is still hope for humanity. We haven't lost our hope."