A company that gauges public opinion on issues affecting Peninsula residents has repurposed its software to help people across the country shelter at home amid the coronavirus epidemic.
Founded by Brian Jaffe in 2017, Voca polls residents via text message in Redwood City, San Mateo and San Carlos. Voca has continued its weekly poll since the outbreak of the virus, but Jaffe has since shifted his focus from expanding the platform to exploring ways in which it might help others during the ongoing crisis.
The result is a project called Covid Assist that debuted March 18. Unlike Voca, it can be used by anyone in the country and is not specifically for Peninsula residents.
“The idea was for neighbors to be able to help neighbors and for us to use technology to facilitate that,” Jaffe said.
Users can sign up for the service at covidassist.org and select whether they need help or are willing to help others with essential errands including grocery shopping or picking up prescription medications.
After signing up, the user in need of assistance will be paired within hours with a volunteer in their neighborhood or as close as possible and the two can work out a schedule for completing the errand. After the volunteer completes the errand, he or she drops off whatever was purchased at the person in need’s home and is then reimbursed online via PayPal or Venmo to prevent person-to-person contact from occurring.
The match between the volunteer and the person seeking help is facilitated not only via algorithm but also with the help of a representative.
On March 28, Emerald Hills resident Diane Heditsian requested help with grocery shopping through Covid Assist and was contacted by the company's co-founder Nora Grossman via text message. Heditsian said she could wait a week if necessary, but Grossman was able to find a volunteer who completed the errand that day.
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“I was blown away by the service and that this existed at all,” Heditsian said, adding that her volunteer was “responsive and just amazing.”
Jaffe said Covid Assist has also created long-term matches for those looking for someone to help them weekly.
“We think of this as a reserve corps of volunteers for when the normal safety net gets overwhelmed,” Jaffe said. “Everyone understands this is scary time and that certain people are more vulnerable. If I’m going to the store anyway then what’s the harm in grabbing an extra bag of groceries if they live two blocks away?”
More than 500 volunteers have singed up to help through Covid Assist since it launched just weeks ago. That’s compared to just a few dozen calls for service so far, though Jaffe expects that number to grow as infected cases mount and as the shelter-in-place order continues to be in effect.
“The risk outside is getting more serious so people are more willing to ask for help than a couple weeks ago,” he said, adding that requests for help on the platform were beginning to grow late last week. “We perceive within a few weeks there’ll be a big spike in demand for help.”
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(2) comments
Voca also covers Foster City
Thank you for the article! We're so excited to be able to give back to our community. Stay strong San Mateo County!
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Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
Don't threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Anyone violating these rules will be issued a warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be revoked.