Master’s student Britt Urban turned her frustration and anxiety about the coronavirus pandemic into a powerful force and helpful service for her neighbors. On March 12, she posted on the app Nextdoor, asking if any of her neighbors in Berkeley needed help picking up groceries or prescriptions.
From that, Berkeley Mutual Aid was born, mobilizing more than 100 volunteers to help elderly and immunocompromised individuals in the community. In addition to grocery and pharmacy runs, volunteers conduct phone or email check-ins on vulnerable individuals so they don’t feel as isolated.
Urban discusses the impact of Berkeley Mutual Aid, why she chose UCSF to pursue her master’s degree, and what inspired her to sail around the world.
Name: Britt Urban
Age: 36
Hometown: Nevada City, California
Program and Specialty: Master of Science Program, Certified Nurse-Midwife/Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner specialty
What were your expectations when you created Berkeley Mutual Aid? How did you feel when close to 300 people engaged with your initial post on Nextdoor?
Honestly, I was really surprised. I thought maybe a few neighbors would reach out for grocery runs, but the outreach from both neighbors wanting to help and neighbors needing help was very surprising! At first, I felt really overwhelmed at how I was going to handle all the responses, but then neighbors joined me, formed committees, and helped navigate this need in the community with me. It has felt great to be a part of a community that makes sure no one falls through the cracks in such a vulnerable time.
How many residents has Berkeley Mutual Aid assisted?
As of April 7, we have made 178 matches of volunteers with people who need help, so connecting more than 350 people. We are getting about 10 requests for help per day and have over 700 volunteers signed up to help.
Has performing these tasks for community members reduced your stress and anxiety over the pandemic?
Yes and no. How many people in the community are incredibly vulnerable due to COVID-19 and needing crucial support is pretty overwhelming and absolutely keeps me up at night. But then I get feedback that the volunteers are going above and beyond to make sure the neighbor they are matched with gets everything they need, which makes me feel hopeful that we can, and will, get through this together. This was a response from a neighbor who is homebound with no family in the area: "Thank you very much for taking care of me! My volunteer is wonderful. She's checked in on me often, found impossible-to-find-now things for me, and even dropped by the best homemade veggie chili and cornbread I ever had; I feel like part of the family, I could not feel better taken care of! I'm very grateful."
For those who are thinking about volunteering, but are reluctant, what would you to say to them?
This is such a personal decision. These are really heightened times for all of us and if people don't have the capacity to extend themselves, that is okay. That being said, there are a wide variety of ways to help depending on what you are comfortable with. There is a lot of need right now and if you are in any way feeling like you want to help, there are plenty of people who could really use the support.
What motivated you to come to UCSF for your graduate studies?
My entire family is from the Bay Area and my life for the last 10 or so years has been here, but it was the social justice focus of UCSF's education that really persuaded me.
How will gaining a master’s degree in midwifery from UCSF impact your career?
It will completely change my career. I will be able to work with people throughout their spectrum of health care. As a provider, I will support and empower them, and withhold judgement. I will also be able to catch babies, which has been a dream of mine since I was a child.
You and three crew members sailed around the world on a 50-foot vessel. What motivated you to attempt that feat and what was the experience like?
I was burnt out from a big job in the nonprofit world and it was a perfect opportunity to change everything and take off. I was also very naive and an incredibly novice sailor so saying 'yes' was pretty easy without fully being able to conceptualize the risks that came along with circumnavigating the world by sail. To date, it is the best decision I have ever made. It was truly the adventure of a lifetime.
(Posted April 15, 2020)