To alleviate the impacts of COVID-19 policies, many initiatives have been developed by civil society organisations – NGOs, local governments, or citizens. A team of national researchers from the RESISTIRÉ project has collected and highlighted a set of particularly relevant initiatives in 27 European countries and in Iceland, Serbia, the United Kingdom and Turkey. These Better Stories cover eight specific domains: gender-based violence, the labour market, the economy, gender-pay and pension gaps, gender care gaps, decision-making and politics, environmental justice, human and fundamental rights.

This Better Story was collected by Nazli Turker, Pinar Ensari and Ayse Gül Altinay

In December 2019, Deep Poverty Network (DPN) was established as part of the Open Space Association by a group of researchers, sociologists, psychologists, and journalists who initially came together in a solidarity-based community center, Çimenev, mainly for children in a lower-class neighborhood of Istanbul. DPN was founded as research and reading group to investigate the deepening nature of poverty, to make its multidimensional nature visible, to develop a rights-based approach to poverty, and to monitor the human rights of socioeconomically marginalized individuals.

An effective advocacy work on poverty

The conditions of poverty exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic coupled with the economic downturn led the initiative to broaden its activities, mainly by providing food support for families who had limited or no access to food. With its effective advocacy work on poverty as a fundamental human rights issue and widespread rights-based solidarity campaigns during the pandemic, it has become the most visible civil society initiative on poverty in Turkey.

The DPN expanded to the extent that it currently has its own Twitter and Instagram account and is better known than the Open Space Association. Current activities include:

• research and advocacy
• in-kind support via solidarity campaigns
• social work through neighborhood and home visits to monitor the daily living conditions and needs, as well as to facilitate social service support (from municipalities or public institutions).

The database of the initiative currently has 1000 families, 200-300 families being regularly monitored, 60 of which are led by single women.

Picture by Freepik

Find out more about the initiative

To alleviate the impacts of COVID-19 policies, many initiatives have been developed by civil society organisations – NGOs, local governments, or citizens. A team of national researchers from the RESISTIRÉ project has collected and highlighted a set of particularly relevant initiatives in 27 European countries and in Iceland, Serbia, the United Kingdom and Turkey. These Better Stories cover eight specific domains: gender-based violence, the labour market, the economy, gender-pay and pension gaps, gender care gaps, decision-making and politics, environmental justice, human and fundamental rights.

This Better Story was collected by Catarina Sales de Oliveira

ReAJo – Autonomy Response for LGBTI Youth is the pioneer autonomy flat dedicated to young lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, or intersex (LGBTI) individuals in Portugal.

A tailored solution for young adults

This initiative aims to fulfill the recognized requirement for safe living spaces for LGBTI youth who find themselves compelled to leave their family homes. During engagements with this demographic under Casa QUI WAS, the first Portuguese NGO to establish a support service for victims within this specific group, the team identified this pressing necessity. Frequently, these young individuals encounter situations of conflict and violence in their households, necessitating an urgent departure. Those without employment often struggle to secure housing and financial assistance, with no applicable state programms available. This response was tailored for individuals aged between 16 and 23 years old. Launched in 2019, the cases followed thus far predominantly involve young adults above 18 years old, typically aged between 18 and 21, of both genders.

A future plan to expand the rooms

Currently comprising two flats, with an additional two flats soon to be added, ReAJo offers two single rooms for stays of up to 6 months (for job search purposes) and two single rooms for stays of up to 2 years (for pursuing educational projects). While the flat was inaugurated in 2019, it began accommodating young individuals only in 2020. The initiative is in the process of expanding the number of housing units and anticipates having an additional 12 rooms by the end of 2023.

Picture by Freepik

Find out more about the initiative

To alleviate the impacts of COVID-19 policies, many initiatives have been developed by civil society organisations – NGOs, local governments, or citizens. A team of national researchers from the RESISTIRÉ project has collected and highlighted a set of particularly relevant initiatives in 27 European countries and in Iceland, Serbia, the United Kingdom and Turkey. These Better Stories cover eight specific domains: gender-based violence, the labour market, the economy, gender-pay and pension gaps, gender care gaps, decision-making and politics, environmental justice, human and fundamental rights.

This Better Story was collected by Marloes van Engen

Valuing intergenerational interactions

Club Goud was launched by Moniek van Daal. Prior to launching the initiative, Moniek had spent more than 10 years volunteering at an elderly home, engaging in simple conversations over coffee with elderly residents. This experience revealed to her that the world of many elderly individuals becomes smaller and smaller, particularly for those who lack close family connections. Moniek strongly believed in the value of intergenerational interactions yet faced challenges in recruiting young volunteers. This motivated her to conceptualize events that could bridge the generation gap.

Organizing outdoor concerts at elderly care homes

Between March and September of 2020, Club Goud organized outdoor concerts at elderly care homes, featuring over 100 artists who delivered more than 250 concerts. This initiative arose as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Club Goud was a local organization that previously focused on intergenerational projects in the realms of music, dance, and art. Collaborations were forged with cultural institutions, art entities, care facilities, and the elderly themselves. The sudden cessation of activities due to lockdowns, coupled with the stringent restrictions in elderly homes, prompted Club Goud to devise the idea of hosting outdoor concerts. This allowed elderly residents to enjoy performances from behind their windows.

Expanding to the national level

Initially a local endeavor, Club Goud’s influence expanded nationally through a call on social media platform NL for each other. This call created enthusiastic responses from artists and care facilities alike. To facilitate smooth coordination between artists and care homes, Club Goud appointed regional coordinators, resulting in a well-organized initiative.

Photo by Thanos Pal from Unsplash

Find out more about the initiative

To alleviate the impacts of COVID-19 policies, many initiatives have been developed by civil society organisations – NGOs, local governments, or citizens. A team of national researchers from the RESISTIRÉ project has collected and highlighted a set of particularly relevant initiatives in 27 European countries and in Iceland, Serbia, the United Kingdom and Turkey. These Better Stories cover eight specific domains: gender-based violence, the labour market, the economy, gender-pay and pension gaps, gender care gaps, decision-making and politics, environmental justice, human and fundamental rights.

This Better Story was collected by Nathalie Wuiame

Offering care after school

The Relay houses (maisons relais) are operated by municipalities alone or with the support of facility managers from CSOs (in this case, the Red Cross). Their primary objective is to provide parents with the option to work by offering care after school hours or during closures. These houses offer temporary socio-educational care for children and young people under 18 outside regular school hours. They primarily cater to families residing in the municipality or children attending school there.

Expanding the support to all professions

However, the availability of Maisons Relais services is not uniform across all communities. The range of services provided, including opening hours and offerings, can differ based on the municipality. Typically, these facilities operate from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. During the second and third lockdowns in Luxembourg, there was a critical need to establish childcare options for essential workers, particularly those in hospital settings. As a result, the state enlisted major facility managers (such as Caritas, Croix-Rouge, Arcus, Elisabeth) and prominent municipalities (including Luxembourg and Esch-sur-Alzette) to collaboratively set up emergency structures to support parents working in hospitals. Initially, this assistance was limited to doctors and nurses, but it was subsequently expanded to encompass all professions with key roles in hospitals, including cleaners and logistics personnel.

Image by CDC from Unsplash

Find out more about the initiative

To alleviate the impacts of COVID-19 policies, many initiatives have been developed by civil society organisations – NGOs, local governments, or citizens. A team of national researchers from the RESISTIRÉ project has collected and highlighted a set of particularly relevant initiatives in 27 European countries and in Iceland, Serbia, the United Kingdom and Turkey. These Better Stories cover eight specific domains: gender-based violence, the labour market, the economy, gender-pay and pension gaps, gender care gaps, decision-making and politics, environmental justice, human and fundamental rights.

This Better Story was collected by Marita Zitmane

This initiative was created to help people who, due to Covid-19 restrictions, were forced to stay at home. The target group is composed of people in self-isolation, those sick with Covid-19, or those who belong to the high-risk group due to medical reasons. Additionally, the project focused on supporting vulnerable groups like ‘people with low income,’ ‘single parents,’ and ‘elderly individuals living alone.’ The primary idea was to aid those individuals who lacked the means, support, or skills to acquire necessary items while in self-isolation.

A platform connecting volunteers and people seeking help

The initiative originated at the grassroots level as a Facebook page, connecting people seeking help and volunteers willing to provide assistance. A coordination platform was established to organize activities and share information. This network was maintained through a call center, a website, and a mobile app.

A phone application to organize information

In early 2020, the project achieved recognition by securing the third place in a hackathon focused on generating support-related ideas. The objective was to launch a mobile application capable of handling a larger amount of information, enabling volunteers to make informed choices about how to contribute. This mobile app achieved significant success, promoting the idea that volunteering should not lead to burnout.

A continuous effort

Throughout 2021, the project underwent a transformation, becoming an NGO. Initially lacking prominent supporters, the initiative later gained backing from the retailer “RIMI,” who featured the initiative in their advertisements. Presently active under the name “#easytohelp,” the initiative’s focus has shifted to assisting refugees from Ukraine.

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Find out more about the initiative

To alleviate the impacts of COVID-19 policies, many initiatives have been developed by civil society organisations – NGOs, local governments, or citizens. A team of national researchers from the RESISTIRÉ project has collected and highlighted a set of particularly relevant initiatives in 27 European countries and in Iceland, Serbia, the United Kingdom and Turkey. These Better Stories cover eight specific domains: gender-based violence, the labour market, the economy, gender-pay and pension gaps, gender care gaps, decision-making and politics, environmental justice, human and fundamental rights.

This Better Story was collected by Alexis Still

An innovative solution for children

Happy Days is an organization aiming to assist children facing physical, mental, and emotional challenges, and young carers and their families. During the crisis, the COVID Project helped sustain support for families and maintain operational continuity. This involved organizing various activities, holidays, and day trips for children.

A project for the vulnerable ones

Notably, the project focused on extending aid to those struggling with mental health issues, those who had experienced the loss of a family member, and individuals facing financial hardships.

From the initial lockdown in March 2020 until the easing of restrictions in July 2021, the project achieved a milestone by assisting 14,728 children.

The initiative strived to help children with disabilities, life-limiting conditions, and abuse. Also, it targeted the ones:

• Impacted by the effects of the coronavirus
• Coping with the loss of a parent, grandparent, sibling, or another family member due to COVID-19
• Whose families had been severely hit financially due to job losses
• Struggling with a notable decline in mental well-being because of the pandemic.

Image of Marisa Howenstine from Unsplash

Find out more about the initiative

To alleviate the impacts of COVID-19 policies, many initiatives have been developed by civil society organisations – NGOs, local governments, or citizens. A team of national researchers from the RESISTIRÉ project has collected and highlighted a set of particularly relevant initiatives in 27 European countries and in Iceland, Serbia, the United Kingdom and Turkey. These Better Stories cover eight specific domains: gender-based violence, the labour market, the economy, gender-pay and pension gaps, gender care gaps, decision-making and politics, environmental justice, human and fundamental rights.

This Better Story was collected by Lina Sandstrom

Örebro Stadsmission (city mission) was founded in 2015 but distributed left over food before then in limited scale under a different name. Matcentralen (Food Central) is a shop that sells donated food from local businesses to individuals who are unable to meet their basic food needs through other means.

Navigating high Demand

It was founded in cooperation with Immanuelskyrkan in 2019. When the pandemic hit, demand for the service increased dramatically and they moved to larger premises in June 2020. Due to inflation and high food prices, demand continues to be high.

In 2019, they donated 80 shopping baskets per week, in august 2022, this had gone up to 270. The food in Matcentralen could be near expiration date, or the packaging may be damaged, but it goes through a quality check and is sold in a setting similar to a standard supermarket where members can decide for themselves what they want to buy. People who find it difficult to make ends meet can become members and buy a gift card for 50 SEK (€5) which pays for five shopping baskets (one per week).

Photo de Aaron Doucett sur Unsplash

Find out more about the initiative

To alleviate the impacts of COVID-19 policies, many initiatives have been developed by civil society organisations – NGOs, local governments, or citizens. A team of national researchers from the RESISTIRÉ project has collected and highlighted a set of particularly relevant initiatives in 27 European countries and in Iceland, Serbia, the United Kingdom and Turkey. These Better Stories cover eight specific domains: gender-based violence, the labour market, the economy, gender-pay and pension gaps, gender care gaps, decision-making and politics, environmental justice, human and fundamental rights.

This Better Story was collected by María López Belloso and Elena Ghidoni

Building a spirit of solidarity

Led by the cooperative Options, the campaign was launched during the pandemic crisis to promote solidarity and inclusivity. Its primary focus was to support vulnerable groups while also advocating for local and ecological agriculture, responsible consumption, and social enterprises.

Celebrating sustainable choices

The organization’s goals were:

• Practical Guidance: The campaign aimed to provide practical information and resources, offering people clear alternatives and insights into responsible consumption.
• Economic Benefits: Through partnerships and collaborations, the campaign aimed to offer economic advantages to participants.
• Smooth Transitions: Recognizing that change can be challenging, the organization worked to simplify the process. It provided assistance and arrangements to make adopting responsible consumption practices easy and hassle-free.

Image by aleksandarlittlewolf from Freepik

Find out more about the initiative

To alleviate the impacts of COVID-19 policies, many initiatives have been developed by civil society organisations – NGOs, local governments, or citizens. A team of national researchers from the RESISTIRÉ project has collected and highlighted a set of particularly relevant initiatives in 27 European countries and in Iceland, Serbia, the United Kingdom and Turkey. These Better Stories cover eight specific domains: gender-based violence, the labour market, the economy, gender-pay and pension gaps, gender care gaps, decision-making and politics, environmental justice, human and fundamental rights.

This Better Story was collected by María López Belloso and Elena Ghidoni

A group of neighbors in Vallecas (Madrid), along with various collectives and community associations, organized through WhatsApp to provide mutual support during the COVID-19 crisis. Multiple groups were formed in each part of the district with the primary goal of assisting individuals who were unable to leave their homes to meet essential needs such as groceries and pharmacy supplies.

Solidarity establishment

Initially, volunteer neighbors displayed their phone numbers on balconies, and the media subsequently spread the news about the initiative, leading to an increase in calls for help. These groups also reached out to healthcare centers, pharmacies, and hospitals to establish a safety protocol. As circumstances changed, families began requesting food assistance, prompting the initiative to establish Solidarity Store Rooms (Depensas Solidarias) in each neighborhood.

Strong collaborations

Local organizations collaborated in this effort, including Centros Sociales like La Villana and La Brecha, the Cultural Association La Horizontal, CSJO La Atalaya, and the Neighborhood Associations of Puente de Vallecas. Thematic groups were also formed to address specific needs, such as maternity support, creativity, eco-social concerns, youth, employment, animal welfare, psychological support, and telephone companionship.

Two years after the pandemic outbreak, this initiative gave rise to four new active associations and working groups: Somos Palomeras, Somos Red Entrepozo, Somos San Diego, and Somos Mujeres.

Photo by Asterfolio from Unsplash

Find out more about the initiative

To alleviate the impacts of COVID-19 policies, many initiatives have been developed by civil society organisations – NGOs, local governments, or citizens. A team of national researchers from the RESISTIRÉ project has collected and highlighted a set of particularly relevant initiatives in 27 European countries and in Iceland, Serbia, the United Kingdom and Turkey. These Better Stories cover eight specific domains: gender-based violence, the labour market, the economy, gender-pay and pension gaps, gender care gaps, decision-making and politics, environmental justice, human and fundamental rights.

This Better Story was collected by Monica Stroe

Filling the gap left by shortcomings in the public healthcare system

Sens Pozitiv Association is an NGO working to improve the quality of life of HIV patients and of persons from vulnerable categories who are at risk of contracting HIV. A significant part of the organisation’s work consists in supporting HIV-positive persons in accessing the specific HIV medication, thus substituting the public healthcare system’s failure to provide medication and medical services for HIV patients.

Empowering HIV-Positive Individuals and Healthcare Communities

InformatHIV is an initiative of the association intended to provide trustworthy information to HIV-positive patients, as well as to healthcare professionals, activists and the general public. During the COVID19 pandemic, the project expanded to address the new provocations of living with HIV in Romania, by providing information on matters such as vaccination and the HIV-positive status, accessing health services during restrictions and the specific vulnerabilities to COVID-19 of patients living with HIV and HIV-vulnerable persons. The project also initiated raising awareness (e.g. delayed testing, patients’ access to their treating physicians, cuts of public funding for HIV programs etc).

Photo by Hannah Busing from Unsplash

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