We are currently living in exceptional circumstances in Finland due to the coronavirus epidemic. In just one week, our normal daily lives have changed a lot. Now more than ever, caring and neighborly help are needed in the villages.
The Finnish Villages Association instructs us as follows:
“In local communities, we can think about how we act so that no one is left alone with their fears and uncertainties in a new situation. Positivity and maintaining hope are important. We can remind people of the importance of helping their neighbors, especially through communication. For example, the village association can encourage people to stay in touch with elderly people in their neighborhood by phone. The village association can offer help, for example, with shopping, while following the instructions of the authorities. Let's take care of ourselves and each other.”
In our area, the Finnish Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement's Western Finland District and Vapepa are looking for volunteers who could, for example, deliver food to people in home quarantine. It would also be important to know whether this type of voluntary help has already been organized in the villages on their own.
I would now like to ask you to map out this issue of helping in your own village and to appoint a contact person in your village who will identify those in need of assistance in your village and whom the municipality or other authority can contact if necessary. In practice, the contact person could be the chairman or some other association activist.
You can send me the information by email or you can also call me. I will forward the information centrally to the Finnish Red Cross's Western Finland District Situation Center.
Irma Kortesuo
email: irma.kortesuo@liiveri.net or tel. +358 50 5510797