According to a new survey, 64% of Americans say 2020 has made them more selfless than ever before.
A poll of 2,005 Americans discovered that since March 2020, 41% have helped a stranger across the street.
People are embracing the idea of neighborly love. Thirty-eight percent have gone out of their way to take out their neighbor’s trash while a further 31% walked their neighbor’s dog.
A third have even shoveled out a neighbor’s car in the past year.
The study conducted by OnePoll in conjunction with Eyes of Hope, the charitable arm of VSP Global, aimed to discover how people are dealing with the impacts of the pandemic and found 74% say 2020 has made them more aware of the needs of others.
Seventy-two percent of those surveyed found themselves caring about the health and wellbeing of others significantly more than ever before in the past year.
“It’s been incredibly meaningful to see how the challenges of the last year have caused us to care even more for each other. This study validates what we’ve been hearing from our employees and charitable partners: people are looking to better the lives of others and their communities because they envision a greater purpose after such a devastating year,” stated Pat McNeil, a spokesperson for VSP Eyes of Hope.
Since March 2020, 87% of Americans have donated a portion of their paycheck.
Yet others truly felt the weight of the pandemic on their shoulders. Three in five experienced financial difficulties in the past year.
Beyond financial struggles, 65% have had to put off doctor’s appointments since March 2020.
Some of the reasons why people had to put their doctor’s appointments on the back-burner include: losing their health insurance (44%), not being able to afford the copay (46%) and worries about COVID-19 (64%).
Sixty-nine percent of those polled had concerns they’d be unable to afford vision care for themselves or family members.
Sadly, 72% don’t even think they have the ability to help loved ones if and when their health begins to suffer or becomes an issue.
“Certainly, the pandemic has created healthcare barriers for so many. We’ve seen firsthand the impacts on access to vision care at a time when seeing each other onscreen has been so valuable for keeping us connected. It’s more important than ever that we all work together to ensure that everyone has access to the resources they need to keep themselves and their families healthy,” added Pat McNeil, a spokesperson for VSP Eyes of Hope.
Ultimately, while 2020 has been a difficult year for many, seven in 10 say this past year has made them a better person overall.
As a result, people are not wasting their time dating people who are selfish. Sixty-eight percent of Americans say not being charitable and helping others is a major dating turn-off.
