#ShareMyCheck: Why Americans are donating their coronavirus relief checks
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Sarah Matusek Staff writer
Fresh out of cosmetology school, Jennifer Guy was glad to start work as a hairdresser in late February. But she lost the job three weeks later as Pennsylvania closed to COVID-19. The single mom and cancer survivor from McKeesport says she hadn鈥檛 worked long enough to file for unemployment. Her two teens at home needed food.聽
Ms. Guy didn鈥檛 know where to turn 鈥撀爑ntil a news story on a local Facebook group caught her eye. The Stimulus Check Exchange support group seemed nonjudgmental, she says, so she posted about her struggle.聽
Two days later, a check signed by a stranger appeared in the mail for $250.聽
Why We Wrote This
In an era of hardship and layoffs, Americans are countering fear with compassion by pledging to share their checks. The movement underscores the power of generosity 鈥� immune even from a pandemic.
鈥淚t actually was a blessing for me,鈥� says Ms. Guy. 鈥淚 really was starting to lose hope鈥� of getting help. She says the check went toward rent, food for her kids, and a book for each from Walmart.聽
Editor鈥檚 note: As a public service, we鈥檝e removed the paywall聽for all our coronavirus coverage. It鈥檚 free.
In an era of fear and layoffs, Americans across the country are pledging to pay it forward. Some taxpayers say they plan to redistribute their checks to organizations or neighbors in need. As they brace against the virus, communities countrywide prove generosity is immune.聽
鈥淭his is not my money, this is our collective money,鈥� says the Rev. Tamara Torres McGovern, co-founder of the campaign in Portland, Maine. So far 151聽individuals聽have pledged more than $122,000.听听
鈥淭his virus has created fear of other people,鈥� she says. 鈥淭his is a really simple way to kind of push back against that fear and [move] towards compassion.鈥�
Safety net
The coronavirus pandemic has upended the U.S. economy. More than 33 million Americans have filed for unemployment since mid-March. The聽Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act聽鈥撀燼 $2 trillion package to help businesses and individuals signed into law in March 鈥撀爄ncludes one-time payments of up to $1,200 for individual taxpayers.聽As of May 8, some聽聽have received their checks, according to the Treasury Department and the IRS.
Not all taxpayers benefit. The current legislation excludes unauthorized immigrants, though many work 鈥渆ssential鈥� jobs. In response, a by a coalition of advocacy groups has raised more than half a million dollars for immigrant families around Washington, D.C.聽
鈥淚t has become ever more clear that we need systems that serve everyone, especially in times of crisis, and not just those with saved or inherited wealth or well-resourced jobs,鈥� writes Yahya Alazrak, campaign director for Resource Generation, in a statement to the Monitor.聽
Resource Generation organizes young adults with privilege around social justice causes. The nonprofit鈥檚 #ShareMyCheck campaign is meant to inspire donations for individuals, communities, and organizations in need during the pandemic.
New York grant writer Jason Yoon took to Twitter last month with the #ShareMyCheck hashtag. Grateful for a steady income and bank account, he says sharing his check with others was a 鈥渕oral imperative.鈥澨�
鈥淚鈥檓 personally frustrated that so many workers and laborers are being excluded from federal aid,鈥� says Mr. Yoon. He divided his check among two immigrant empowerment groups, a community arts studio where he formerly served as executive director, and his current employer, Sakhi for South Asian Women, which aids survivors of gender-based violence.聽
鈥淢y parents are immigrants from Korea. My mother is a retired nurse [who worked] in New York City,鈥� he says. 鈥淪o seeing the experience of front-line workers, and the work of women in particular in this moment, is something that hits home for me.鈥�
Local news has chronicled a range of giving inspired by relief checks. Hundreds of educators in are committing their incoming cash to support unauthorized workers. A , man鈥檚 donation to a local food bank encouraged others to follow. And an paid three students鈥� utility bills.聽
鈥淎s this pandemic unfolds, the silver lining really has been the outpouring of generosity and support,鈥� says Una Osili, associate dean聽for research and international programs聽at Indiana University鈥檚 Lilly Family School of Philanthropy.
Philanthropy has been 鈥減art of America鈥檚 fabric from the very beginning,鈥� says Dr. Osili. 鈥淐ompared to a lot of European countries, we don鈥檛 have a lot of government programs for those in need,鈥� she says. 鈥淧rivate philanthropy plays an important role.鈥�
It鈥檚 hard to gauge how many will act charitably with their checks. Early evidence聽suggests most are putting the money toward basics like food and bills. An April found only 3% of U.S. adults plan to donate to charity.
Nonetheless, research has found that U.S. philanthropy persists during dark hours. In the wake of several natural disasters, nearly a third of Americans made a disaster-related donation in 2017 and 2018, according to a by Dr. Osili and colleagues. Most donate to disasters 鈥渙ver and above their regular patterns of charitable giving,鈥� she notes.
More than 650聽 in the United States have been set up to bolster nonprofits during the pandemic, according to Candid, an organization that tracks global philanthropy. Yet despite an influx in institutional giving, the pandemic poses challenges to nonprofits. Many face increased demand for services amid social-distancing mandates. Others struggle to fundraise 鈥撀爀specially since spring is a major fundraising season.
鈥淥n the whole, nonprofits are suffering,鈥� says Jen Bokoff, director of stakeholder engagement at Candid.
Torres McGovern says several people have used #PledgeMyStimulus to pledge their checks to Maine Access Immigrant Network (MAIN). The Portland nonprofit led by former refugees has been applying to foundations鈥� emergency funds during the pandemic as its staff faces growing demand.聽
鈥淥ur workload has tripled, and not the funding,鈥� says Sarah Lewis, who helps run MAIN.聽
The organization鈥檚 community health workers help refugees and immigrants navigate U.S. health care, often as interpreters and cultural brokers.聽
One bright spot has been the prospect of donations from the #PledgeMyStimulus campaign.聽鈥淚t brought tears to my eyes,鈥� says Ms. Lewis, learning of others鈥� desire to help.聽鈥淲e鈥檙e only as strong as our most vulnerable population. And if we don鈥檛 lift everyone, who are we?鈥�
Good at the core
In Wexford, Pennsylvania, retiree Susan O鈥機onnor keeps busy moderating her Stimulus Check Exchange Facebook group.
鈥淢y goal was just to make connections,鈥� says Ms. O鈥機onnor, who has helped 22 individuals like Ms. Guy receive assistance. Ms. O鈥機onnor says she and her husband had originally planned to put their checks toward buying a house 鈥� before an epiphany struck. 聽
鈥淭here鈥檚 people so much worse off that are struggling right now,鈥� she says.聽After receiving their checks last week, the pair has bought a washer and dryer for a single mom, and plans to help another family fix their roof.聽
Torres McGovern, of #PledgeMyStimulus, says her check could easily go toward household repairs, or the combined $130,000 student loan debt she shares with her spouse. But the couple is putting half their checks toward causes that include support for immigrants, low-wage workers, public radio, and domestic violence prevention, as well as a faith community where she works part-time. The other half will benefit local businesses.
鈥淚 believe that people at their core are basically good, and that given an opportunity to be generous, most people will choose to be generous in whatever way they can,鈥� she says. 鈥淢aybe that鈥檚 through money, maybe that鈥檚 through bringing a casserole to the folks across the street who they know are struggling.鈥�
Editor鈥檚 note: As a public service, we鈥檝e removed the paywall聽for all our coronavirus coverage. It鈥檚 free.
