The unpreceded COVID19 pandemic has adversely affected every individual. The only ray of light amidst the darkness of pandemic is the emergence of strong volunteering spirit. People of all ages and different sectors have joined hands to support the suffering.

Every individual is going beyond their capacities to save lives and trying to reduce the affect of virus on humanity. Caritas India since its inception have believed in the power of volunteering. Being one of the strategic pillars of the organisation, it has stood tall with volunteers under the name “Caritas Samaritans” in the second wave the country is facing.  The second wave saw an engagement of 2224 Samaritans being enrolled and engaged and have clocked 55,336 volunteering hours till now.

Prior to engaging the volunteers in the response, a series of 12 virtual orientation and training programs was conducted across India on – ‘Safety protocols while engaging as a volunteer during COVID’, ‘Protection and caring for the dead during the pandemic, and COVID Information Center’.

“Volunteering has changed my mindset and has motivated me to look at life differently”, Shubham, Caritas Samaritan. Mr. Shubham, one of the volunteers engaged in Dayasagar Hospital in Amravati in Maharashtra Shubham helps the treatment center in taking X-Rays, providing food and hot water to the patients, distribution of medicine etc. He is not scared of Covid-19. He protects himself by wearing all the protective gear like a PPE suit, mask, gloves, and face shield.

Samaritans have rendered their support being part of the first and second-level treatment centers and mobile clinics by helping the sick to deliver food, water, tea, snacks, and medicines. By cleaning up the rooms, corridors, sterilise the floor and change the mattresses for some of the patients who have received food and clothing from their families. Volunteers have also played an active role in spreading awareness pertaining to COVID and vaccinations. They have helped to raise awareness about vaccine registration and clinics and coordinate ambulance service. The volunteers helped to spread the word about the necessity of vaccination and registration. The awareness program was conducted through mass wall painting. The public awareness campaign was carried out through the use of big wall painting. Volunteers were involved in taking elderly men and women to vaccination clinics. They made patients at the treatment institutions and non – affected persons in the villages aware of the Covid-19 protocol. Awareness sessions also focussed on Post-Covid Care and correct hand washing practices.

Mr. Rameshwar Baghel, a volunteer from Jagdalpur, Chhattisgarh, shared that some villagers in their operational village were hesitant to take Covid-19 vaccination due to rumours, but thanks to the volunteers’ frequent door-to-door visits, individual counselling, and awareness meetings, a large number of villagers have come forward for vaccination.

The pandemic has not just affected the physical health of the affected but the mental health state of both affected and not affected. “Isolation, curfew and lockdown” have become some of the most dreaded words since 2020. Volunteers as part of the outreach have rendered their services in providing regular door-to-door visits and one-on-one counselling for the covid patients. Doing what matters in times of stress-that is how our Samaritans across our partner organisations helped in reaching out to people through telephonic calls and meetings and also providing counselling to the patients and families. Amidst supporting the health infrastructure of the country, Caritas India and its partners through the support of Caritas Samaritans were engaged in the distribution of food kits, masks, and other items to people in the designated areas, as well as compiling a beneficiary list based on the criteria provided by the partners through a door-to-door survey. By maintaining the Covid Protocols, volunteers assisted the partners in administering the initiative and distributing ration kits door-to-door to needy families. The volunteers partnered with a food store to distribute groceries to Covid affected families in need.

As the country prepares itself to face the third wave, Caritas Samaritans are also prepping themselves to keep up the fire of volunteering burning.