By: Melissa Romberg

“This virus is deadly and unforgiving and to know that I am making a difference in people’s lives means more than I can express. There is something about helping others who can’t help themselves that illustrates the good in our community and gives us hope. I am proud to be a part of that uplifting spirit.”  

 

- Jett Rosner, WeHaAtYourService Co-Founder

 

It has been nearly 80 days since school shut down.  We are all being provoked by thoughts that by now are fairly one note. They all start with “why couldn’t we,” or “why didn’t we,” rarely asking “what can I do.” When really the one actual phrase that should be taken away from this pivotal point is, “think globally, act locally.” That is what should drive our response to this pandemic and that is exactly what WeHaAtYourService has sought to do . 

 

WeHaAtYourService is the exact type of brightness our community needs right now. Founded by Jett Rosner, Purit Butsapak, and Benjamin Covici,  WeHaAtYourService is a response to the risk the immunocompromised and eldery face in the wake of COVID-19.  The three recognized the dangers and created the volunteer service with the intent of  making contactless deliveries of groceries. As of now, it has even expanded to making post office deliveries and doing landscaping work. 

 

If you do not have a large workload or if you are looking for something to do once school is over, I strongly recommend participating or at least continuing to spread the word about this organization.  When asked about the benefits of volunteering for their service, Rosner explained, “The most prominent benefit is that you are able to give back to your community during a time where most people cower in fear. By volunteering you are illustrating important traits such as courage, determination and kindness. You are displaying that instead of running away and being normal, you are standing up and making a difference no matter how small.” The organization has been making that difference and has been receiving brightness in turn from their customers. Butsapak shared how during “one delivery, [he] was dropping off Whole Foods groceries to an immunocompromised mother. When [he] arrived at their front porch, [he] saw a banner attached to the side wall with the words “THANK YOU” written out.” He then expressed how “it was incredibly touching to see how much [his] actions were appreciated.” If you wish to join, visit wehaatyourservice.com for more details.

 

WeHaAtYourService is dedicated to being as inclusive as possible. My biggest concern when I started working on this story was if a student wanted to participate who didn’t have their license yet but needed to make large deliveries. Covici explained how “if a student does not have a license and they have a willing parent, we would be happy to have them join as a duo who complete deliveries together.  We currently have two duos of this sort.” Or maybe overall it is impossible for someone to be a part of the volunteering aspect of this group. They could always donate at the aforementioned website or, again, try to share information about this organization with people that they care about.

 

Although it would be astounding to find a vaccine tomorrow,  there are more realistic ways in which us as a student body could help to bring that same brightness that others before us have in past crises; WeHaAtYourService is one of them, but there are numerous other steps we could be taking. We could submit and share videos thanking all essential workers; donate money through organizations such as the ALL IN Challenge; or maybe for fun, put yard flamingos on the lawns of 2020 seniors as a nice reminder of support during their socially distant, double entendre “Safe-Graduation.” 

 

 I cannot stress enough how important organizations like these are in times like this. And in terms of “what can I do,” you should care for one another, care for yourself, and most importantly, “think globally, act locally."