The COVID-19 pandemic prompted a significant wave of corporate and community support for frontline healthcare workers. Numerous brands and organisations established programmes offering free products, discounted services, and dedicated resources to assist medical professionals, first responders, and support staff. These initiatives spanned multiple categories, including apparel, food, mental health support, and professional development. This article compiles the available information from the provided source material, focusing on the offers and resources that were made available to healthcare workers, primarily in the United States and Canada, during the initial phase of the pandemic. It is important to note that many of these offers were time-sensitive, linked specifically to the COVID-19 crisis, and may have expired.
Apparel and Footwear Offers
Several apparel brands launched specific initiatives to support healthcare workers on the front lines.
Crocs offered a free pair of shoes with free shipping to healthcare workers. This was a direct donation programme available through a dedicated claim page.
Barco Uniforms, a recognised leader in the medical apparel industry, committed to donating scrubs to medical professionals for the duration of the COVID-19 crisis. A request submission process was established for this initiative.
Clove included free compression socks with every shoe purchase. To receive the socks, customers had to add a pair to a cart containing shoes and apply the discount code WITHLOVE during checkout.
Ably Apparel offered a free item from their website to first responders. This was activated by tagging the company on their Instagram page starting from April 8th.
Kerusso provided a 10% discount on all items in their store as a token of gratitude for first responders.
Tieks by Gavrieli launched the #SewTOGETHER Challenge, encouraging customers to sew masks for front-line heroes. Participants who sewed 25 masks received a $50 Tieks gift card, and those sewing 50 or more masks received a $100 gift card.
Food and Beverage Offers
Food and beverage companies provided complimentary meals and beverages to show appreciation.
UberEats announced it would provide free meals and rides to first responders and healthcare workers in the U.S. and Canada. This was coordinated with local and state/provincial governments. Interested officials and organisations were directed to contact Uber at [email protected] to partner.
Krispy Kreme offered free dozens of Original Glazed® Doughnuts to all healthcare workers. This was available every Monday starting March 30th and continuing through National Nurses Week (May 6-12).
Starbucks provided a tall brewed or iced coffee to police officers, firefighters, paramedics, doctors, nurses, hospital staff, and researchers until May 3rd.
Mental Health and Wellness Support
Recognising the immense psychological pressure on healthcare workers, several organisations offered free mental health resources.
Talkspace Online Counseling donated 1,000 months of free online therapy to healthcare workers on the front lines. Medical professionals received one free month of Talkspace's Unlimited Messaging Plus plan, which includes online therapy via text, audio, and video calls with a licensed therapist. Access was available via their website or mobile app.
Neurocore Brain Performance offered free telehealth counselling to all first responders and medical professionals in the U.S. through May 1st, 2020.
Warrior Teletherapy Network provided free teletherapy to healthcare workers in the Kansas City metro area.
DiveThru App, a guided journaling app, promoted its services to help with mental wellbeing. The app offers guided journaling exercises created with mental health professionals.
Support Groups for Nurses offered no-cost, confidential emotional support groups for nurses on the front lines of COVID-19. These groups, led by trained facilitators, met for an hour to provide a space for connection, sharing, and learning emotional skills.
Professional Development and Training
Free educational resources and training courses were made available to help healthcare workers manage the pandemic.
IntelyCare, a workforce management solution for post-acute facilities, launched a free COVID-19 training certification programme.
The American Nurses Association offered free COVID-19 training titled "Be Confident Protecting Yourself and Providing the Best Care to Your Patients during this COVID-19 Pandemic."
The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses provided a free online course, "Pulmonary, ARDS, and Ventilator Resources," available 24/7 with information for caring for COVID-19 patients.
Osmosis developed several free resources, including a COVID-19 course for health professionals eligible for 2 CME credits, free clinical skill videos, and free events such as meditation and yoga sessions. Anyone who signed the #Raisethline pledge could also access 3 free weeks of Osmosis Prime, which includes a library of videos, clinical case questions, flashcards, and notes.
Other Resources and Discounts
Additional support extended to parking, childcare, and communication services.
The Parking Spot offered free parking at any of their facilities for essential healthcare workers until May 12, 2020. To receive complimentary parking, workers needed to be members of the Spot Club loyalty programme, download the app, and enter the corporate code #HHERO6918 during registration.
Care.com provided one month of free, premium access to their site for those on the frontlines. This offered access to the largest online care site, help for children, parents, and pets, and unlimited messaging with caregivers.
AT&T offered 3 months of free wireless service to frontline nurses and physicians battling COVID-19 on the FirstNet network, built exclusively for first responders.
PPE and Advocacy Resources
Beyond direct consumer offers, resources were available to help secure Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and advocate for better protections.
The American Hospital Association (AHA) ran the "100 Million Mask Challenge," helping connect manufacturers with hospitals in need of PPE. The AHA provided a design specification guide for manufacturers and encouraged them to contact local hospitals directly.
The American Nurses Association (ANA) facilitated advocacy efforts, making it easy for individuals to contact Congress to demand an increase in PPE supplies.
Conclusion
The COVID-19 pandemic triggered a widespread, if temporary, response from brands and organisations to support healthcare workers. The offers detailed in the source material covered a broad spectrum of needs—from essential apparel and food to critical mental health support and professional training. These initiatives were largely framed as acts of gratitude and support during a global health crisis. It is crucial for consumers and professionals to note that many of these specific offers were tied to the pandemic's peak and have likely expired. For current information on discounts and freebies for healthcare professionals, consulting up-to-date guides and directly checking with brands is recommended.