How people are responding to the Coronavirus outbreak
As an attempt to build up a rapid initial picture of the impact of the coronavirus crisis on organisations and individuals, we invited Church Action on Poverty members and supporters to complete an online survey on Friday 27 March.
By 3 April, we had received…
Impacts on organisations
- There is significant concern about the impact on the most vulnerable, including amongst people and communities who were already marginalised. This includes people seeking asylum, refugees, migrants, people with poor access to healthcare, people working cash in hand in the informal economy, etc.
- Isolated vulnerable older people are facing particular difficulties, including accessing basics – shopping, prescriptions, etc, and struggling to access online delivery slots.
- A significant number of local churches and organisations have had to stop all existing activities and services, including food banks, community cafes, and night shelters.
- There have been closures of a wide range of key local services, but other local churches and organisations are finding ways to refocus and continue to serve their local community.
- Some are seeking to coordinate collaborative responses, whilst ensuring self-care for staff and beneficiaries.
- There is a desire to try to stay positive, but aware of challenges ahead.
Impacts on individuals and families
It is evident from this very initial snapshot that the Coronavirus outbreak is deeply impacting the lives of people, families and wider social networks in many different ways.
What is particularly noticeable from the responses are the deep impacts on people who are already vulnerable, including disabled people, people with chronic health conditions older people and carers.
Some people are already reporting the impacts of loss of work or income, or of struggling to access or afford the basic essentials, including food and heating.
Key workers, clergy and others still working are in many cases under huge pressure, or having to adapt overnight to completely new challenges or working practices.
This is on top of wider social and psychological impacts of the loss of ‘ordinary life’ and social connection with friends, family, church and other social networks.
For some people, the impacts are particularly difficult or complex, as a result of a combination of caring, family or wider
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