4/8/2020
PITTSBURGH – “Help the Helpers,” a joint initiative of the City of Pittsburgh, UPMC, Pittsburgh Penguins and Pittsburgh Steelers encourages the community to recognize and look for ways to support “the helpers” and each other, such as picking up a gallon of milk, offering to walk a dog, or making food for your neighbor. During times of crisis, Pittsburghers remember the advice of Mister Rogers to look for the helpers.
“Help the Helpers” invites all to show support to health care workers, as well as grocery clerks, pharmacists, garbage collectors and delivery drivers, all of whom perform essential roles to keep our communities safe. A phone call to a neighbor, a card to an isolated elderly person, an offer to order groceries, donation of protective equipment or handmade face masks, can all contribute to our community caring for each other. Window signs of support, social media frames and sharing personal stories of how we are supporting each other are key to the initiative, and community members are encouraged to share their “helping the helpers” stories with the hashtag “HelpTheHelpers.” Window signs and social frames can be downloaded at UPMC.com/HelpTheHelpersPGH.
“Any gesture of support is welcome, but please be smart about it. The best way to help everyone continues to be staying inside and keeping the virus from spreading,” Mayor William Peduto said. “For the safety of our community, and to lower the likelihood of exposure to or spreading of COVID-19, you should always follow the social distancing and self-isolation recommendations from federal, state and local governments.”
“The community response and support to our UPMC staff is extraordinary and heart-warming. Hundreds of caring people and organizations have offered their supplies, their help, their encouragement. Simple actions like these make all the difference, allowing first responders and hospital teams to help those in need of our care. We are grateful for the outpouring of support, which is no surprise from the good people and the good neighbors in all of the communities that we serve,” said Donald M. Yealy, M.D., chair of emergency medicine at UPMC.