Community linked by caremongering group

Generous residents of Petawawa looking to spread positivity and help their neighbours have set up a “caremongering” group to counteract fears over Covid-19.

The group was created days after the country underwent a nation-wide lockdown. Though things have slowed down as people got used to their new routine, its 885 members are still ready and willing to offer aid to those struggling.

“Having a local group makes things easier for those needing or offering services and items,” said Lori-Lee Regimbald, one of the group’s administrators. “If someone is at home with their sick baby and they need Tylenol …, they can ask the community for help and someone can either share something they have at home or offer to run to the store to pick it up. Many of us are military families and so we do not have nearby family to help us out when we need it. This group can help fill that void.”

There is a Renfrew County-wide caremongering group, however Anna Crosby, one of the Petawawa group’s founders, believed in the value of having one nearer to home.

“Renfrew County is larger than Prince Edward Island, and as such, I think that having a group specific to Petawawa was important,” said Crosby. “By having a group that covered a smaller area, I had hoped that it would allow more requests for assistance to be met.

“Additionally, the people of Petawawa are known to be helpers,” she added. “This provided a space for our community to have a community, when we couldn’t do it physically, and in a positive way.”

She believes humans are inherently good, and even as news of people hoarding toilet paper and hand sanitizer spread, people offset this with random acts of kindness.

“Caremongering is the opposite of fearmongering, allowing us all to take part in a movement filled with positivity during times of uncertainty,” said Crosby.

It can be challenging to remain distant from others, especially when this community has so many people who are far from home and their regular network.

“This group allows people to connect and share, whether it’s items or a smile or just someone to talk to,” said Regimbald. “People need people. We are social beings and as such, even when in isolation, we need to connect to others, and we need others to be there for us when we need someone to connect to.”

Crosby agrees that by helping neighbours, friends and even strangers, it provides more opportunities for connection, reducing isolation and increasing a sense of belonging.

“I think that this group just created an extension of what has been here all along, by creating a specific platform in an odd time,” she said.

And people have responded to the concept.

Caremongering groups have popped up across the nation, looking to do good in a time of fear through the use of social media. Its members offer ways to help each other, whether through positive interactions, socially distant events or by offering help in daily tasks to those who are sick, immunocompromised or otherwise unable to go out shopping for necessary goods and supplies.

Crosby has never seen a request for help go unanswered, “from drives to appointments, to picking things up from a store, to buttons and fabrics for face masks.”

The idea originated in Toronto but spread like wildfire; though other countries throughout the world have created similar groups and have made their generous acts public, “caremongering” is a term coined by Canadians.

“I am epically proud of this community, and I am extremely fortunate to be a part of it,” said Crosby. “I didn’t have a doubt that people would offer to help, but nonetheless as the online community grew, I was super excited to be a part of the caremongering movement. It brought joy to know that people were connecting and that maybe, if even in a small way, that this online space was reducing hardships.”

She gives credit to the group administrators, Regimbald, Annie Reid and Amanda Danilko, for keeping the group positive and the fears at bay.

“When the pandemic began, and things were uncertain, it was lovely to know that there was a virtual world to tap into that was all about helping,” she said.

“This group reminds me of the Mr Rogers quote, “When I was a boy, and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me ‘look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.”

By keeping things positive, the group focuses on help instead of alarm.

“I think it’s important to be kind and positive, especially when you are feeling isolated, secluded and alone. This group was a space to give a great opportunity to share and spread some kindness and positivity. Who wouldn’t want to get involved with something like that?” said Regimbald.

She pointed out individuals do not need to be connected to the military to tap into the group. Many of its users live in the surrounding municipalities.

The group can be found on Facebook by searching for “Caremongering Petawawa”.