People who are connected can achieve extraordinary things. Facebook has witnessed how a single post on the platform can give a person life-saving help. Facebook and Facebook itself have also seen how a hashtag can become a global call to action. On top of that, many people show up on this social media platform in times of need, doing what they can do to act for other people.
The act of kindness and the community that people built has inspired Facebook to develop new tools and features to further cater to others.
Making It Easier For People to Provide Help on Buying Facebook Likes
If you browse on your Facebook News Feed, you will see many people posting and calling for help. For instance, there are people in need of blood transfusions and are looking for donors with whom they are compatible. In return, those who can provide help comment on those posts and contact who published them.
To make things easier for these people, buying Facebook likes successfully to built a Blood Donations tool to register as donors. The feature also allows them to find local blood banks in their area, making it easier for them to donate blood.
Moreover, global COVID-19 pandemic has forced people to stay at home. For this reason, Facebook became one of their major tools for informing their friends and family that they are safe. To make things easier for these people, the social media giant launched the Safety Check feature. Its goal is to provide people the tools that they need to support each other. Also, the said feature intends to help them raise awareness and funds for the causes that they care about.
How Facebook Became a Tool for Help in Many Countries
The entire world is facing a lot of struggles today. Apart from the coronavirus pandemic, different crises happened in various countries this year.
For instance, there had been a volcanic eruption in the Philippines and New Zealand. Also, there was a wildfire in California. These calamities have affected many people, and others have seen how they struggled to cope up.
As people try to get by the things that happened to them, others have used Facebook to raise other people’s awareness. Many individuals and groups raised donation drives to provide help to those who are in need.
Many countries have faced challenges this year alone. But the number of people who wanted to provide help is even more than the difficulties that happened. Below are some of the crises that the world faced and how people used Facebook as a tool for help:
New South Wales, Australia
In January this year, wildfires have devastated New South Wales, Australia. As a form of help, actress and comedian Celeste Barber used Facebook fundraisers to raise bushfire relief efforts.
Barber’s fundraising efforts instantly became the biggest fundraising in Facebook’s history. She generated a total of $36 million for the Brigades Donations Fund and The Trustee for NSW Rural Fire.
Also, various organizations could lend a hand as a part of Facebook’s data for a good program. Disaster response organizations such as Direct Relief, was able to provide 500,000 N95 masks to those who were most affected by the wildfires.
Bharuch, India
Zabir, a resident of Bharuch, Gujarat, is a regular blood donor at his neighborhood’s blood bank. He saw Facebook’s Blood Donations feature and quickly registered himself as a donor.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, he saw a Facebook post from Bharuch General Hospital urgently requesting blood. The hospital was facing shortages for blood due to the coronavirus lockdown. Zabir shared the post with his friends, and all of them donated to help meet the hospital’s need.
Texas, USA
Hurricane Harvey ravaged Houston, Texas, so much. It caused a flood in the said state, trapping people in their homes as the water rises.
Many of those who were affected by the flood turned to Facebook for help. They used the platform’s Community Help tool to reach people who can rescue them. After seeing these Community Help posts, brothers Nathan and Austin, who live in Lake Jackso, Texas, grabbed their boat and drove to Houston. There, they were able to rescue 20 people from the rising flood caused by Hurricane Harvey.
South Africa
Thousands of Children go missing around the world every year. For this reason, Facebook partnered with law enforcement and other stakeholders to distribute AMBER Alerts in 23 countries.
Last January, the social media giant began working with the South African Police to send AMBER alerts on Facebook. This way, people in the designated search area can see important information and spread the word.
Washington, USA
In May, residents of Washington, USA, along with George, Ahearn, Zsofia Pasztor, and Nancy Bailin– the founders of East-West Food Rescue, utilized Facebook’s Community Help for their donation efforts. They used the said tool to find volunteers who would help them transport and distribute 40 tons of food and feed neighbors in need. This drive also helped them ensure that no crops went to waste. Ever since that first food delivery, East-West Food Rescue delivered more than 8 million pounds more.
Italy
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted Italy so hard. To help the people there, the Giorgia Libero Onlus association began a fundraiser on Facebook to support the Padua Hospital ICU. 19,000 individuals came together and raised nearly $550,000 to help pay for the treatment of patients and healthcare providers who have contacted the COVID-19 virus.
For every hour that passes, a person in the world needs help. This is why one donation can potentially save a life. Now that there is a global pandemic, millions of people are struggling to keep their lives together. So, if we can provide even the smallest help, we’ll be able to get through this pandemic together.
