How You Can Help
While COVID-19 has had a dramatic impact on our way of life, the spirit of the Columbia community and our neighbors has remained unchanged. Many Columbia researchers, healthcare workers, staffers, students, and our neighbors have given their time, energy and resources to those in need and on the front lines confronting this novel coronavirus. Inspired by their efforts, below is a list of ways that you too can join the fight.
What type of help is needed?
Anyone can lend a hand. The skills required during these times vary from project management to checking in on elderly adults. Besides volunteering time, donations are also being accepted. Non-profits that provide food services are experiencing unusually high demand. And the livelihood of local small businesses, such as restaurants, is being threatened.
Have a program to add?
Use your UNI login to submit a resource for the list.
Volunteer
- Type
- Research Support
- School/Unit
- Medical Center
- Program
- Columbia Researchers Against COVID-19 (CRAC)
- Summary
- Columbia students are invited to participate in COVID-related research at the University, including crowdsourcing ideas for new projects; evaluating worthy projects; identifying people and resources; and to support the Biorepository project as a qualified technician to process biological specimens.
- Contact
- General contact
- Contact for Biorepository project: Álvaro Cuesta-Domínguez, PhD, ac4172@cumc.columbia.edu;
- Contact form for Biorepository project.
- Type
- Research Support
- School/Unit
- Engineering
- Program
- Columbia COVID Tech Innovation Group
- Summary
- Columbia faculty, students, staff, and alumni can help health professionals connect and collaborate with innovators to rapidly solve emerging problems.
- Contact
- Columbia Engineering, Eric Vieira, emv2144@columbia.edu, 212-853-1945, seascovid19@columbia.edu
- Type
- Matching
- School/Unit
- Business School
- Program
- Tamer Center for Social Enterprise Volunteer Opportunities
- Summary
- A curated list of volunteer and donation opportunities.
- Contact
- socialenterprise@gsb.columbia.edu
- Type
- Restaurant Support
- School/Unit
- Business School
- Program
- Columbia-Harlem Small Business Development Center (CU-SBDC)
- Summary
- Red Rabbit seeks organizations to serve as distribution hubs for free breakfasts, lunches, and suppers for any child under 18 years old at sites across New York City.
- Contact
- info@myredrabbit.com
- Type
- Elder Care
- School/Unit
- University Life
- Program
- DOROT
- Summary
- Checks in on older adults in the New York area. Facilitated by DOROT, an organization that supports homebound and older adults.
- Contact
- EventBrite Registration
- Type
- Research Support
- School/Unit
- Engineering / Entrepreneurship
- Program
- Columbia DIY Ventilator Challenge
- Summary
- Design a do-it-yourself (DIY) non-invasive ventilator (NIV): Specifically, a device that will inflate and deflate an Ambu bag in a systematic manner, as an emergency stop-gap for critical care patients. Winning teams will receive additional funds for further development. Open to Columbia faculty, students, staff, and alumni.
- Contact
- Columbia Engineering, Eric Vieira, emv2144@columbia.edu, 212-853-1945, seascovid19@columbia.edu
- Type
- Student Support
- School/Unit
- Arts & Sciences
- Program
- K-12 Tutoring
- Summary
- Arts & Sciences students have an opportunity to tutor K-12 subjects for the children of CUIMC doctors and medical staff on surge support. You can choose a subject you wish to tutor in. Flexible scheduling. All conducted via Zoom.
- Contact
- Dr. Jonathan Susman, js1138@cumc.columbia.edu
- ASGC VP Will Plews-Ogan, gv2252@columbia.edu.
- Type
- Matching
- School/Unit
- Medical Center / Mailman School of Public Health / Arts & Sciences
- Program
- COVID-19 Student Service Corps (CSSC)
- Summary
- Student volunteer corps created at Mailman School of Public Health. Opportunities include patient-facing services; student/faculty/community-facing services; and system services.
- Contact
- cssc@cumc.columbia.edu
- Type
- Legal Services
- School/Unit
- Law School
- Program
- Pro-Bono Program
- Summary
- Two opportunities for Columbia Law School students. 1) Under faculty supervision help displaced workers; provide legal research and support to labor unions, including general counsel of the AFL-CIO; help individual workers file unemployment insurance and other benefits claims; provide similar help to undocumented workers. 2) Advocate for vulnerable and elderly incarcerated persons; ensure that they receive needed medical care; direct advocacy to secure early release for select non-violent persons at risk of contracting COVID-19.
- Contact
- Law students should consult Sypmplicity to find volunteer opportunities.
Donate
- Type
- Student Support
- School/Unit
- General Studies
- Program
- The Food Pantry at Columbia
- Summary
- The Food Pantry at Columbia is a recognized student organization and is open to all students at Columbia. Any student who has any level of food insecurity can reach out to the Food Pantry to get a two-week disbursement containing non-perishable food items.
- Contact
- thefoodpantry@columbia.edu
- Type
- Student Support
- School/Unit
- All Schools, Alumni and Development
- Program
- Columbians Caring for Students
- Summary
- Recognizing that the COVID pandemic brings immediate financial impact as well as other hardships, alumni of schools across our campuses have reached out to support students in a time of need. With a match funded by a number of trustees, as of March 26, 2020, more than $2 million has been contributed in critical funding. The effort continues.
- Contact
- Columbians Care for Students
- Type
- Healthcare Support
- School/Unit
- Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons
- Program
- COVID19 Patient Care Response Fund
- Summary
- A fund to support: acute critical care, mobile screening tents, telemedicine, mental health services, research for diagnostics and rapid-response testing, preventative treatments for healthcare providers, and new therapeutics.
- Contact
- Columbia Giving
- Type
- Restaurant Support
- School/Unit
- Business School
- Program
- Columbia-Harlem Small Business Development Center (CU-SBDC)
- Summary
- Ginjan Cafe delivers bottles of its signature GINJAN drink to healthcare workers at Harlem Hospital.
- Contact
- drinkginjan.com/contact/
- Type
- Restaurant Support
- School/Unit
- Business School
- Program
- Columbia-Harlem Small Business Development Center (CU-SBDC)
- Summary
- Dear Mama launched the “Buy a Meal for a Neighbor” campaign to deliver 1,000 free meals to those in need in New York City.
- Contact
- info@dearmamacoffee.com
- Type
- Restaurant Support
- School/Unit
- Business School
- Program
- Columbia-Harlem Small Business Development Center (CU-SBDC)
- Summary
- MOJO Mousse Bar delivers 10 "treat packages" daily to Mount Sinai and metro hospitals. Buy one package and MOJO will donate two.
- Contact
- info@mojodesserts.com
- Type
- Healthcare Support
- School/Unit
- Government and Community Affairs / University Life
- Program
- The New York Blood Center
- Summary
- The need for blood is more critical than ever to not only replenish the region’s blood inventory, but to ensure a ready supply that is vital for patients. The New York Blood Center has been classified as an "essential service" provider by FEMA, and they've worked with the CDC to ensure adherence to the social distancing and medical directives.
- Contact
- The New York Blood Center
- Type
- Matching
- School/Unit
- Government and Community Affairs
- Program
- Columbia Community Service (CCS)
- Summary
- Columbia Community Service (CCS) seeks to foster just and thriving communities by advancing the work of community-based organizations. An initiative supported by Columbia, Barnard College, and Teachers College, CCS has engaged our university communities to strengthen organizations that are serving the needs of individuals and families living in Morningside Heights and Harlem.
- Contact
- communityservice@columbia.edu
- Type
- Arts Support
- School/Unit
- Columbia Community Service
- Program
- Harlem School of the Arts
- Summary
- Supports Harlem School of the Arts' efforts to ensure that financial means is not a barrier to arts education through financial aid and scholarship support for Children’s Enrichment Program and pre-professional students.
- Contact
- Eric Pryor, Director, epryor@hsanyc.org
- Type
- Arts Support
- School/Unit
- Columbia Community Service
- Program
- The Harlem Chamber Players
- Summary
- Support their chamber music series and free community concerts that bring the great works of the chamber music repertoire uptown to those in the community who already love classical music, as well as to those who might like to be exposed to and enjoy live classical music for the first time.
- Contact
- Elizabeth Player, Artistic Director, lizplayer@gmail.com
- Type
- Food Support
- School/Unit
- Columbia Community Service
- Program
- NY Common Pantry
- Summary
- NY Common Pantry fights hunger and food insecurity through programs that establish long-term independence for its clients.
- Contact
- Stephen Grimaldi, Executive Director, sgrimaldi@nycommonpantry.org
- Type
- Food Support
- School/Unit
- Columbia Community Service
- Program
- Broadway Community
- Summary
- Broadway Community operates a soup kitchen that is the heart of the many programs that they provide to those in need of food, medical services, and clothing. The CCS grant helps Broadway Community maintain their kitchen at an optimum level.
- Contact
- Chef Michael Ennes, Director, admin@bpcnyc.org
- Type
- Food Support
- School/Unit
- Columbia Community Service
- Program
- Cathedral Community Cares
- Summary
- Cathedral Community Cares uses its CCS grant to support the purchase of food products, kitchen supplies, and general maintenance of its Sunday Soup Kitchen facility.
- Contact
- Thomas Perry, Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine, tperry@stjohndivine.org
- Type
- Food Support
- School/Unit
- Columbia Community Service
- Program
- West Side Campaign Against Hunger
- Summary
- West Side Campaign Against Hunger is one of the largest and most successful food pantries in New York City. Last year they distributed over 1.5 million pounds—one-third of which was fresh fruits and vegetables—to more than 20,000 individuals via their supermarket-style food pantry and Mobile Market. Their CCS grant is used to purchase nutritious food and provide 1.3 million meals for more than 11,300 families facing hunger.
- Contact
- Greg Silverman, Executive Director, gsilverman@wscah.org
- Type
- Matching
- School/Unit
- Government and Community Affairs
- Program
- Support Harlem Now Community Relief Fund
- Summary
- The Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce, the NAACP and Columbia University have joined forces to launch the Support Harlem Now Community Relief Fund, which will work with organizations, institutions, and individuals across the city to support and co-sponsor a variety of initiatives including food services, elder care, health care worker support, hardware for online learning, and homeless services.
- Contact
- Support Harlem Now
- Type
- Food Support
- School/Unit
- Business School
- Program
- Columbia-Harlem Small Business Development Center
- Summary
- Pabade Bakery, a participant in Columbia Business School's Harlem Local Vendor Program, has partnered with Hot Bread Kitchen and Little Green Gourmets to prepare daily meals for NYC Health + Hospitals, the largest public health care system in the U.S. Meals are delivered to post-acute healthcare workers in all five boroughs.
- Contact
- Hot Bread Kitchen
- Type
- Food Support
- School/Unit
- Government and Community Affairs
- Program
- Salem United Methodist Church (SUMC)
- Summary
- To support its Grab-n-Go Meals program in partnership with the Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce.
- Contact
- info@salem-harlem.org
- Type
- Food Support
- School/Unit
- Government and Community Affairs
- Program
- Rethink Food
- Summary
- To support its weekly meal service program in partnership with the Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce.
- Contact
- Rethink Food
- Type
- Housing Support
- School/Unit
- Government and Community Affairs
- Program
- P'ALANTE Harlem
- Summary
- To support P'ALANTE Harlem's newly implemented food distribution programs. The group's mission is to end tenant exploitation in order to enable low-income community residents to remain in their homes and to ensure that those homes are safe and affordable.
- Contact
- P'ALANTE Harlem
- Type
- Healthcare Support / Restaurant Support
- School/Unit
- History Dept.
- Program
- Morningside Campus for New York Presbyterian/CUIMC
- Summary
- The History Dept is raising funds to help Brownie's, the cafe/catering small business in Avery/Fayerweather Hall, to prepare and deliver food to front line health workers at New York Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC). They are raising funds from throughout the Morningside faculty and staff for the Columbia commmunity's Brownie's family and frontline medical staff.
- Contact
- Morningside Campus for New York Presbyterian/CUIMC
- Type
- Food Support
- School/Unit
- Columbia Community Service / Irving Medical Center
- Program
- Columbia Neighbors Food Relief Fund
- Summary
- The Columbia Neighbors Food Relief Fund brings together the entire Columbia community to heighten awareness, raise funds, and deploy resources to address increasingly limited access to food in Upper Manhattan. This need has grown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Every dollar donated to the fund through the Medical Center Neighborhood Fund and the Columbia Community Service Food Relief Project will be used to support the program.
- Contact
- communityaffairs@columbia.edu