The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) is launching the Good Goes Viral (#GoodGoesViral) campaign, a movement to inspire the world to engage in acts of kindness starting this Easter weekend, to pray for those affected by the COVID-19 crisis, and to support ADRA’s global response to the pandemic.

During a time when millions of people are staying home, the Good Goes Viral campaign is encouraging people to do good by sharing love and kindness in creative ways that creates connectedness among family, friends, neighbors, and strangers, while maintaining social distancing.

“This is a time when we need to be there for each other, especially for the most vulnerable among us. More than ever before, we have the responsibility and the privilege to care for one another and serve as Jesus commanded us to do,” says Mario Oliveira, director of ADRA’s emergency management team.

As part of this effort, ADRA is also calling on people to pray, especially during this Easter. To this end, ADRA has opened prayer lines every Monday at noon (EDT) at ADRA.org/coronavirus to take online prayer requests for those who are hurting as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. In addition, Good Goes Viral offers people remote opportunities to support relief operations for people COVID-19 impacted around the world and encourages communities to create activities to stay safe and healthy during the stay-at-home period to stop the spread of the coronavirus. 

ADRA is serving more than 2.4 million households around the world where lives have been disrupted during the coronavirus pandemic. Plans are also in place to assist communities long-term during the recovery phase. ADRA relief efforts support vulnerable and underserved communities, especially low-income families, elderly people, individuals facing layoffs, and many more, to ensure they receive needed assistance. 

“What we are seeing is an unprecedented scale. In the last few weeks, ADRA has deployed teams in more than 70 countries to meet the immediate needs of individuals and families touched by the pandemic and by the economic downturn that has resulted,” says Oliveira. “While our dedicated workers and volunteers are on the frontlines of the coronavirus response providing a range of assistance—distributing face masks, food kits, cash vouchers, hand sanitizers, and providing hygiene awareness—we need increased support to ensure that ADRA can continue to deliver the life-saving help to those who are struggling the most. Never has the need been so great, and never has our work been so necessary as now.” 

This Easter weekend, ADRA invites people of all backgrounds and communities to join Good Goes Viral by engaging in positive activities that encourage others and bring hope to those who need it most. People can join the movement by engaging in any of the following activities:

• Donate to ADRA’s COVID-19 relief efforts around the world (to learn more, go to ADRA.org/covidresponse)     

• Organize a virtual weekly lunch or dinner with friends and family

• Join ADRA’s live Facebook discussion on hope and prayer every Monday at 12 p.m. (EDT). (Prayer requests can be submitted at ADRA.org/coronavirus.)

• Pray for neighbors, relatives, friends, and those affected by the pandemic

• Share inspirational thoughts or Bible verses with others

• Make food for friends in need

• Buy groceries for those who are housebound or disabled

• Make weekly calls to check on friends and relatives

• Send emails, text messages, or even hand-written letters of encouragement

• Use art and music to inspire others to stay hopeful and positive

• Start group chats to talk about daily life and to encourage each other

• Share photo or video memories to stay connected with family and friends

People can share acts of kindness on social media (photo or short video), donate to ADRA’s COVID-19 response, and challenge other friends to do the same by tagging their names and using the campaign hashtag #GoodGoesViral.