Covid-19 Freebies And Incentives Healthcare Appreciation And Vaccination Rewards

The COVID-19 pandemic prompted businesses and organizations across various sectors to offer free products, services, and incentives as a way to support frontline workers, encourage vaccination, and assist individuals coping with pandemic-related challenges. This article provides a comprehensive overview of COVID-19 freebies available during the crisis, focusing on healthcare worker appreciation offers, vaccination incentives, and educational resources that have been made accessible to the public.

Healthcare Worker Appreciation Offers

During the COVID-19 crisis, numerous companies recognized the dedication of healthcare professionals by providing free products, services, and professional development opportunities. These offers specifically targeted nurses, doctors, and other healthcare workers on the frontlines of the pandemic response.

Free Training and Professional Development

Intelycare provided a 100% free COVID-19 Nurse Training Certification for nursing professionals. Upon completion of the training, participants received one free contact hour, which could contribute to continuing education requirements in the nursing field.

Speeko offered healthcare professionals, including nurses and physicians, free access to their communication skills coaching app through 2020. The app focused on developing effective communication techniques, particularly valuable in high-stress healthcare environments. Additionally, Speeko maintained a free list of COVID-19 communication resources on their website.

TB12, Tom Brady's fitness brand, extended a free Virtual Performance and Recovery Coaching Session with a TB12 Body Coach to any healthcare member actively working to combat COVID-19. Healthcare workers could book their complimentary virtual session through the company's website by following the provided instructions.

Free Products for Healthcare Workers

JINS Eyewear provided healthcare workers with an opportunity to receive a free pair of glasses. Due to overwhelming response, the company adjusted their approach to selecting recipients, choosing 5 people per day for this freebie. The offer was available while supplies lasted.

Kizik Shoes donated 1,000 free pairs of hands-free shoes to nurses and doctors fighting COVID-19. Healthcare workers could request a free pair by filling out a form on the company's webpage, with the offer closing on April 24 at 11:59pm MT. Selected recipients were contacted by May 1.

Masks by Decor8 Interiors offered free masks to healthcare workers. However, due to overwhelming demand, the company indicated that shipping dates for freebie masks were approximately 9 weeks out from the date of request.

Hertz Cars provided a free rental car for an entire month to healthcare workers in New York City. This particular offer reached its limit at some point, as indicated by the "DEAL LIMIT REACHED" status on their website.

Wellness and Support Resources

Ten Percent Happier provided healthcare workers, grocery employees, and food delivery personnel with free access to their meditation app. Users could fill out an appropriate form on the company's website to get started with this offer.

Supporti, an accountability partner app, offered healthcare workers a free one-month subscription. Healthcare professionals could contact the company at a specific email address to receive a special code. Supporti matches users one-on-one with a buddy for a week at a time, providing mutual support for daily actions such as meditation or staying hydrated.

Knack held a promotion where people could nominate their favorite nurse to win a Knack Pack in honor of Nurses Week. The company chose one winner per day, with interested individuals filling out a nomination form on their website.

COVID-19 Vaccination Incentives

As vaccination efforts expanded across the United States, many businesses began offering incentives to encourage more people to get vaccinated. These incentives ranged from food and beverages to cash rewards and retail discounts.

Food and Beverage Offers

Krispy Kreme Doughnuts announced that anyone with proof of COVID-19 vaccination could receive a free doughnut each day for the remainder of the year. The offer required customers to present their vaccination card at participating locations.

In Cleveland, Chagrin Cinemas provided free popcorn through the end of April to moviegoers who presented their vaccination cards. Market Garden Brewery, also in Cleveland, offered 10-cent beers to the first 2021 adults who brought their completed vaccination cards.

The Greenhouse of Walled Lake, a marijuana dispensary in Walled Lake, Michigan, gave anyone over the age of 21 with proof of vaccination a free pre-rolled joint. The "Pot for Shots" promotion was described by the dispensary as "a way of saying thank you for helping to end this pandemic and getting us back to normal."

Retail and Employer Incentives

Many employers began offering time off and extra money to encourage employees to get vaccinated for COVID-19. Companies providing these incentives included AT&T, Instacart, Target, Trader Joe's, Chobani, Petco, Darden Restaurants, McDonald's, and Dollar General.

Kroger implemented a particularly substantial incentive program, awarding employees $100 in store credit in addition to a one-time $100 payment for receiving the COVID-19 vaccine.

Educational and Workplace Resources

The pandemic disrupted education and workplace operations, prompting many companies to offer free access to their platforms and tools to support remote learning and collaboration.

Educational Resources

Edco E-Textbooks made their complete range of learning materials available for free online during the pandemic. The Irish educational company provided access to Primary, Junior Cert, and Leaving Cert e-textbooks by allowing users to log in with specific usernames ("primaryedcobooks," "jcedcobooks," or "lcedcobooks") and a universal password ("edco2020"). These materials typically cost between 9.95-32.50 EUR+.

Educate Plus E-Textbooks and Resources, another Irish educational publisher, made their e-textbooks and resources covering primary and post-primary levels of Irish schools available for free. These materials typically cost between 5-12 EUR each.

Collaboration and Remote Work Tools

Several technology companies made their collaboration and remote work tools available for free to help organizations adapt to the challenges of the pandemic.

Avaya Spaces, a cloud-based video conferencing and collaboration platform, made their service free for organizations fighting COVID-19. The platform typically costs from $6 per user per month.

AppsAnywhere provided free licenses for 90 days to help students easily access the software they need for their studies on any device. This software delivery platform for higher education was normally not available for free.

Klaxoon suite, a cloud-based collection of remote collaboration apps, made their tools available for free during the pandemic. The usual pricing for this suite was unknown.

UXPressia, an all-in-one collaborative platform for creating customer journey maps, personas, and impact maps, offered 50% off their usual rate of $20-24 per user per month.

Tigunia Remote Access provided free remote access tools and team collaboration through a Microsoft Office environment. This offer included 1 hour of consulting, Microsoft Office 365 E1 team collaboration tools, secure desktop access, and more.

Flock Pro, a team messenger and online collaboration platform, made their service free until the end of August for any organization fighting the spread of COVID-19, including education, healthcare, and human rights nonprofits. The platform typically costs $4.50 per user per month.

Igloo Software's Business Continuity Bundle, an intranet digital workspace solution, was made available for free to help keep employees informed, productive, and engaged during the pandemic.

GForge, a web-based collaboration and project management platform, was made available for free during the pandemic.

Accessing COVID-19 Freebies

Accessing COVID-19 freebies typically required meeting specific eligibility criteria and following application processes outlined by the offering companies.

Eligibility Requirements

Many healthcare worker offers required verification of professional status. For example, JINS Eyewear, Kizik Shoes, and TB12 all targeted their offers specifically at healthcare professionals working to combat COVID-19.

Vaccination incentives generally required proof of vaccination, typically in the form of a vaccination card or digital certificate. Age restrictions applied to certain offers, such as the marijuana dispensary's free pre-rolled joint, which was limited to individuals over 21.

Educational resources often required affiliation with educational institutions or self-identification as a student or educator. Workplace tools were generally available to organizations actively involved in fighting the spread of COVID-19.

Application Processes

Most offers required an application process through the company's website or contact with their customer service. For instance:

• Healthcare workers needed to fill out forms on company websites to request free products like glasses or shoes
• Individuals seeking free educational resources needed to use specific login credentials
• Organizations wanting access to free collaboration tools needed to submit requests through designated channels

Some offers had limited availability or time constraints. For example, Kizik Shoes limited their donation to 1,000 pairs and set an application deadline. Other offers were available while supplies lasted or until specific dates in 2021.

Geographic Limitations

Some offers were geographically restricted. For example: - Hertz Cars' free rental car offer was specifically for healthcare workers in New York City - The Greenhouse of Walled Lake's marijuana promotion was limited to their location in Michigan - Chagrin Cinemas and Market Garden Brewery's offers were specific to Cleveland

Many other offers, particularly digital products and services, were available nationwide or internationally without geographic restrictions.

Conclusion

The COVID-19 pandemic prompted an unprecedented response from businesses and organizations offering free products, services, and incentives. Healthcare workers received appreciation through free training, products, wellness resources, and professional development opportunities. Vaccination incentives encouraged public health participation through food, beverages, retail discounts, and cash rewards. Educational and workplace resources supported remote learning and collaboration during periods of disruption.

While many of these offers were time-limited or subject to availability, they represented significant support for individuals and organizations affected by the pandemic. Those interested in accessing these offers should verify current availability and eligibility requirements directly with the offering companies, as many offers were subject to change or expiration.

Sources

1. List of Freebies for Nurses During the COVID-19 Crisis & Nurses Week 2020
2. Here are a few of the freebies for getting the COVID vaccine
3. COVID-19 FREEBIES During the Coronavirus Pandemic