Medical students offering essential workers help with anything from childcare to dog walking

(FOX 2) - Medical students on the sidelines watching healthcare workers fight the virus on the frontlines were searching for a way to help.

“We initially felt like our hands were kinda just tied behind our backs. When we’re just sitting here -- we couldn’t really do much as far as being that helpful in the hospital,” said Bobby Gosey.

Are you an essential worker that needs help around the house? MI COVIDsitters has you covered

MI COVIDsitters is a volunteer organization with nearly 40 medical students ready to help essential workers with things like household errands, pet sitting, childcare, elderly companionship, and more. Just sign up on micovidsitters.org.

“A lot of them are our teachers and have helped us get this far, so we care about them,” Yasmine Bargoti-Gosey said.

This episode of Good News Only, our newest series that highlights the positive in our community amid these stressful times, he Michigan COVIDsitters. They help essential workers by providing childcare, elderly companionship, pet sitting, tutoring, even household errands like grabbing groceries or meal prep.

“Anything they really need that could make their lives go a little bit smoother,” Yasmine said.

So far they’re helping a few families, but they’re looking for more.

“Doctors, residents, nurses, MAs, CNAs -- any healthcare essential workers and also essential workers in general,” Yasmine said.

Anyone looking for some extra help, visit MICOVIDSitters.org and click the Request Help button. You’ll be matched with a student volunteer. Once a family is matched with a student, they’ll only work with each other to ensure everyone is staying as healthy as possible.

Yasmine said nearly 40 students are on standby ready to help all the people that help us.

“The pull to be there for your community, especially in a crisis like this, which none of us has experienced before is just great. There’s just this deepness in our hearts that have been feeling like -- we need to do something, we need to be there for these people. I think this is the perfect way to do it,” she said.

“Seeing not only your teachers but colleagues and friends and residents who we work alongside and they’re putting up photos of them without PPE -- feeling like they’re very vulnerable, makes us feel like we’re just as vulnerable in a way, I guess you could say, because we’re not able to help,” Bobby said. “I think, what it means to us, like what she was saying, it really helps us fill that hole that we were having.

Not only do the MI COVIDsitters have volunteers in Metro Detroit, but they’ve branched out to Grand Rapids, Midland, and even the Upper Peninsula.

Whether you’re looking to volunteer or an essential worker looking for some extra help, visit micovidsitters.org for all the info.

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Want to highlight an unsung hero in your community? Know somebody doing great things that deserves some recognition? Want to share how you're staying positive with your family during these tough times?

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