During the height of the Coronavirus pandemic, a wide variety of companies and organizations stepped forward to provide free products, services, and discounts to support individuals, businesses, and frontline workers. These initiatives ranged from free food and beverages to wellness tools, educational resources, and essential goods. The availability of these offers varied by location, date, and eligibility requirements, with many programs specifically designed to assist healthcare professionals, first responders, and essential workers. Information regarding these offers was frequently updated as the situation evolved, and many promotions were time-sensitive or subject to supply limitations.
Food and Beverage Freebies
Numerous food and beverage brands launched initiatives to provide free meals and refreshments to first responders and healthcare workers. These programs were often available through specific drive-thru locations or in-store redemption methods.
- Krispy Kreme: The doughnut chain provided free dozens of their Original Glazed® doughnuts to doctors, nurses, and healthcare workers with a valid employee ID. This promotion began on National Doctor's Day and continued every Monday through National Nurses Week. The offer allowed eligible workers to pick up as many dozens as they needed from any Krispy Kreme drive-thru.
- Starbucks: The coffee giant offered a free tall brewed coffee, available either hot or iced, to any customer who identified as a first responder or frontline worker supporting the healthcare system. This offer was valid through early May at participating locations.
- Wawa: Wawa provided free coffee of any size to healthcare workers and first responders during the crisis.
- Sheetz: This chain offered free coffee to frontline workers through June 1st at participating locations.
- Nando’s: The restaurant chain gave out 50 free peri-peri chicken takeout meals daily at every North American location through May 17th for hospital workers living near a Nando’s.
- Circle K: First responders and healthcare professionals were eligible to receive a free Polar Pop at participating Circle K locations.
- Snickers: Nurses and other essential workers could receive a free Snickers bar by signing up for an e-gift card to redeem at Walmart.
In addition to these specific brand promotions, other food-related freebies included a program from Uber, which committed to providing 300,000 free meals to first responders. Organizations interested in receiving these meals could contact Uber for more information.
Freebies and Discounts for Healthcare Professionals and First Responders
Beyond food, many companies offered free products and services specifically to support the well-being and practical needs of healthcare professionals and first responders working on the front lines.
- Allbirds: The sustainable shoe brand offered a free pair of their wool runner shoes to every healthcare professional on the front lines. Eligible individuals could claim a pair by emailing the company while supplies lasted.
- Headspace: This online wellness platform provided free wellness tools, including guided exercises, videos, and other resources designed to help increase happiness and improve mental health.
- IntelyCare: IntelyCare offered a 100% free, web-based COVID-19 Nurse Training Certification for nursing professionals. Upon completion of the training, which updated professionals on prevention and treatment practices, participants received one free contact hour.
- JINS Eyewear: Healthcare workers had the opportunity to enter for a chance to win a free pair of JINS Eyewear glasses. Due to an overwhelming response, the company adjusted the program to select five winners per day.
- Kizik Shoes: Kizik Shoes donated 1,000 free pairs of their hands-free shoes to nurses and doctors. Eligible individuals could fill out a request form on the company's webpage, with the form closing on April 24.
- Knack: Knack ran a promotion to honor Nurses Week by giving away one Knack Pack per day to a nominated nurse.
- Masks by Decor8 Interiors: Decor8 Interiors provided free masks to the healthcare industry. Due to high demand, the shipping date for these free masks was approximately nine weeks from the date of request.
- Hertz Cars: Hertz offered a free one-month rental car to individuals working in New York City. This offer had a limited number of deals available.
Vaccine Incentives and Public Health Promotions
To encourage vaccination against COVID-19, numerous brands and organizations created promotional offers and giveaways for individuals who received their shot. These incentives included a variety of rewards, from free products to large-scale financial prizes.
- General Incentives: Businesses across the country offered giveaways for free food, alcohol, sporting event tickets, and scholarships to reward those who got vaccinated. The White House announced a push to increase vaccination rates, which spurred many of these corporate initiatives.
- Lotteries and Prizes: Some promotions included significant prizes, such as a $5 million lottery, to motivate the public to get vaccinated.
Digital and Other Resources
Various other free resources and deals were curated to assist businesses, organizations, and individuals during the pandemic. These included a wide range of products, services, subscriptions, and memberships that were either free or heavily discounted.
- ClarityWave: A list of 318 free resources and deals was curated by ClarityWave, last updated on September 22, 2020. This list included offers to help those dealing with COVID-19.
- DigiScrap Freebies: A digital scrapbooking freebie, specifically COVID-19 pocket cards, was offered by "In A Creative Bubble." This was available as a digital download.
Conclusion
The response from the corporate and public sector during the COVID-19 pandemic included a broad spectrum of freebies and promotional offers aimed at supporting various segments of the population. These initiatives provided essential goods, wellness support, professional resources, and incentives, with a particular focus on recognizing the efforts of healthcare workers and first responders. Due to the time-sensitive nature of these programs, many offers have since expired or reached their capacity limits. Consumers seeking current offers should consult official brand websites and verified promotional pages for the most up-to-date information.