Food is the cornerstone of all life. But what if one is deprived of that cornerstone? That’s exactly what many vulnerable people around the world have faced with the burden of the pandemic on their shoulders. Countless have become unemployed and others who traveled from abroad still must enter quarantine, becoming cut off from their usual food supplies.
Older people appear to be most susceptible to the disease, so many find themselves unable to leave the house, even for grocery-shopping without putting their lives at risk. Thankfully, many communities around the world are catering to this very need, by organizing volunteers who can package and deliver food to the doorsteps of the elderly, disabled, and other individuals with underlying health conditions. And upon discovering that adolescents are the least vulnerable to coronavirus, many young people across the globe have taken it upon themselves to help those who are less fortunate.
In Jerusalem where I’m currently living, my friend’s brother began volunteering in late March. “It made me feel like I was helping even during a time like this,” he said, “there were cases when people cried in front of me because I brought them food.” Inspired, I decided to join him.
Boxes of goodies, ready to go out!
An organization that has played a major role in supplying and distributing the food here is Latet, an Israeli nonprofit organization founded in 1996. The name Latet originates from the Hebrew word לתת, meaning ‘to give’; to give to the elderly, to give to the poor, and to give to all those in need.
One of their warehouses is located half an hour away from my house. Along with other teenagers from various schools and Zionist youth movements in the area, we gather around an assembly line, packaging boxes containing all sorts of food for those in quarantine, ranging from chocolate spread to hummus to couscous.
Mingling with the teenagers is one volunteer in his 70s, who despite his old age, insists on being the one to carry heavy packages from the assembly line to the carts. This set an unparalleled example for the rest of us, and his exclamations of “I’ve got the power!” light up everyone’s faces.
In Beijing, the workload is split up between communities. Each community has a group of young volunteers, typically in their 20s or 30s, responsible for taking care of quarantined members. To minimize infection risks, those in quarantine request the food and daily supplies they need via Wechat. Volunteers wearing their signature red cloth badge then complete the shopping for them and deliver it to their door. Wechat groups are often opened for both the volunteers and quarantined citizens, allowing communication to be as easy as ever.
This simple act of kindness became increasingly popular and was awarded the phrase 隔离不隔爱 gé lì bù gé ài, meaning “quarantined but not quarantined from love”. Whether it was back in the freezing days of February or under the current blazing July sun, these volunteers have been diligently looking after their communities, offering the most valuable and safest human connection in a world where human connection can be dangerous.
In the face of the coronavirus pandemic, we, as young people, must take advantage of our time and energy by stepping forward and providing for those who have provided for us all our lives. If I was to name one happy memory from 2020, it would have to be the satisfaction of sealing a packaged box of food, as I smiled broadly under my mask.
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Qinglan Du is a 16-year-old student from Beijing City International School. She’s originally from Beijing but is currently living in Jerusalem with her mother due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Aside from her passion for writing, she enjoys singing, spending time with friends and family, and experiencing new cultures.
Photos: Courtesy of Qinglan Du
