How to help Italy during the COVID-19 outbreak.

updated March 23, 2020

How to help Italy small businesses during the coronavirus outbreak.

What a time we are living in, friends! The past few weeks the news from Italy seems to change daily- and now all of Italy is considered a “red zone”.

This sounds scary, but from everything I’m reading- it seems like a smart decision by the Italian government to help prevent this virus from spreading further.

I know how disappointing it is to have had a trip to Italy planned that you now need to postpone. I have a trip currently planned for this year too, and am not sure what will be happening between now and then.

But even more than that- I can't stop thinking about my friends in the tourist industry in Italy and how devastating this is for them.

Of course I'm concerned for my friends in Italy & their health- but also for their businesses. I’ve been in touch with many of my colleagues & friends to see how they are doing and how we can support them from afar.

Their biggest message is this: Don’t forget about us!

My reply? Not a chance!

Travel is out for now- but hopefully in the coming months we can travel to Italy and not only enjoy our beloved Italia, but support these wonderful family businesses directly that need our help.

Until then, consider some of these ideas:

SHARE:

Share your love of Italy online- whether it is on social media, writing a review or just forwarding your favorite blog post to a friend. Your words matter!

Send your favorite Italy accounts some love by sharing their FB page, IG account with your friends and family and send them some direct love in a message or email, I’m sure they would appreciate it.

5 Free Quick Ways to Help Your Favorite Small Businesses:

Write a review for their business or products on Amazon, Google, Trip advisor etc.
Share a virtual event they're holding on social media
Share a post from their Facebook Page & tag them
Like, comment & share their Instagram posts
Write an email or note of encouragement to them

SHOP:

I’ve long been a champion of #bringingitalyhome when we cannot be there- and I’ve gathered some ideas for how to do that from wherever you are, right now. (find ideas here, and here)

Smitten Italy Shop:

We will be donating a portion of every purchase from the Smitten Italy Shop to the Cesvi Organization in Bergamo, one of the hardest hit areas of Italy.

Purchase gift cards for lodging, experiences or meals for your Italy trip. This is a simple yet effective way to help small businesses in Italy survive right now.

PLAN:

Don’t give up on Italy- enjoy planning your next trip and spend this time researching where you want to go next. Here are some ideas:

View this post on Instagram

@picnicman73 and I need your help. With heavy hearts, we announce that for the first time in 21 years, the hostel that we created in 1999 to be a home away from home for travelers & locals alike is closing its doors until further notice. The Beehive has high monthly operating costs, and we're going to need help getting through this challenging period until we can reopen. ⠀ ⠀ We are now selling gift cards at the link in this post and in my profile which can be used for future accommodation, cooking classes, breakfast, dinners, or any food or beverage. Purchasing a gift card either for yourself, a friend or family member can help us reach that goal. Thanks for spreading the word and help us continue doing the work we've put our heart & soul doing and want to continue doing for many more years to come. https://forms.gle/t9qFBZvZjyJyNxaj7⠀ ⠀ #hostel #supportsmallbusiness #thebeehiverome⠀

A post shared by Linda Martinez (@thebeehiverome) on Mar 17, 2020 at 9:55am PDT

More Ways to support your favorite Italian Businesses

Food & Wine.

Find pantry staples & wine from small producers if possible and see if they are able to ship.

Gustiamo has products sourced from small businesses in Italy.
Roscioli Wine Club is shipping (as of today).
Curious Appetite has gourmet boxes you can order that look amazing! (Gift cards are also available here)
Re-read our Building your Italian pantry blog post & download the free guide.

Books & Podcasts.

Buy a copy of Letizia Mattiacci's "A Kitchen with a View" cookbook.
Donate to your favorite podcast. (here are some of my favorites.)
Escape into a new book about Italy. My friend Michelle has a new book in her Santa Lucia series here.
Buy a new cookbook from a favorite Italy food writer & cook something new. (here are some favorites)

Virtual Italy.

Scope out online classes, tours & experiences that you can book/purchase. Some of our fave. cooks in Italy are considering doing virtual cooking classes- I'll update this as I get more details.

Casa Mia Tours has started live cooking lessons, more info here.
The Florentine has started a fantastic series of online community events called TF Together.
Context travel has a series called Context Conversations: which includes a seminar called Venice in Peril: A history of disaster in Venice w. Ecologist Luca Zaggia.
Opera in the Kitchen is starting an online cooking class series- get more info here or email info@operainthekitchen.com.
Ancient Rome Live is hosting free seminars for anyone interested in learning more about Ancient Rome via livestream, seminars & more.
Purchase a subscription to Dream of Italy (both digital & physical copy options available)
Support The Florentine or The Local Italy with a digital membership.