San Diego, CA (KGTV)- Providing a home, slightly away from home is the goal of a new Facebook group that matches healthcare workers and first responders with people willing to temporarily donate their RVs.
The workers on the frontlines during this coronavirus pandemic are at a risk of contracting the virus from COVID-19 patients.
Many are self-isolating away from their families once their work shifts are over.
"My husband is an ER doctor and I was terrified to live in my own home with my baby and my two small children. One has asthma and I have asthma," said Emily Phillips, founder of the Facebook group "RVs for MDs".
Phillips said with her husband at a high risk, she was looking to rent an RV to park outside of their Texas home, so he could isolate after work and still be close to the family.
Instead, someone decided to temporarily donate their RV to her husband.
"He loves it," she said. "
Because of that act of kindness, Phillips decided to help match others in the same position with potential donors.
She and her co-founder, Holly Haggard, started the Facebook group and within a couple of weeks 22,000 people had joined.
"For every match that we make, we feel that we can potentially save hundreds, maybe thousands of lives from exposure and help flatten the curve," she said.
Her children speak to their father through the RV window, maintaining a safe distance but keeping the quality family time alive.
There have been approximately 300 matches across the country, including here in San Diego.
"We love to be out camping, but we can't so our trailer is just sitting idle so it's like why wouldn't I want to do this?" said Jamie Renfro who heard about RVs for MDs and decided to get involved.
Her fully remodeled RV will be home to a local doctor by Saturday.
"I did match with a woman," she explained. "Her and her husband are both ER physicians here in San Diego."
Renfro said this will be a way to allow the doctors to separate after work but still by close.
"This is my way of thanking them for what they're doing," she said. "She's very appreciative and I'm equally appreciative."
She urges anyone who is in a position to help, to give back to those giving their all.
"They're very grateful being lent your RV, your trailer," she said. "At least this way they can still kind of be at home."
If you have an RV you would like to donate, or if you're looking to receive one click here to join the group.
