https://www.mercurynews.com/2020/03/27/amid-coronavirus-shutdowns-bay-area-neighbors-find-help-and-hope-in-each-other/

When Wendy Ryan emailed her neighbors in San Jose to see who had groceries to share, people offered milk, eggs and sourdough starter. In less than two weeks, an Oakland mutual aid group thought up by Krista Luchessi had 900 volunteers ready to help vulnerable residents with grocery shopping, medicine pick-ups and regular check-in calls. And in Mountain View, Daphne Sashin got dozens of her neighbors to participate in an impromptu sidewalk chalk art show to lift spirits.

As the Bay Area grapples with an unprecedented shelter-in-place order, in its second week, normal people have stepped up to help and connect with each other in new and unexpected ways as the coronavirus outbreak changes everyone’s life. They say their work, often informal and spontaneous, is a way to battle the anxiety, stress and isolation of life under quarantine. Experts say it’s also a way to create some sense of normalcy and hope.