During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, numerous brands and organizations across the United States rolled out special initiatives to support consumers, healthcare workers, and families navigating lockdowns and social distancing measures. These initiatives ranged from free digital products and entertainment to discounted services and exclusive freebies for frontline workers. The following guide compiles verified offers and resources that were made available during the quarantine period, based strictly on the provided source documentation.
Restaurants and Food Offers
A variety of dining establishments provided free food and beverages to acknowledge the efforts of essential workers and to support customers during challenging times.
- Circle K: Offered a free coffee, fountain drink, or tea to customers with a valid ID. No purchase was necessary. This initiative was intended as a gesture of thanks to the community.
- DoorDash: Provided a free DashPass to medical professionals. This subscription offered free delivery and reduced service fees from participating restaurants, making food delivery more affordable for healthcare workers.
- Krispy Kreme: Every Monday through May 12, healthcare professionals could redeem a free dozen glazed doughnuts by presenting their hospital badge. Additionally, on Saturdays, customers could receive a free dozen doughnuts with the purchase of another dozen.
- Unnamed Restaurant: Offered a free iced tea through June 10. This promotion was available to military personnel, medical professionals, and law enforcement officers with no purchase necessary.
Digital and Entertainment Freebies
For those seeking at-home activities, several companies and creators provided free digital content to help pass the time during quarantine.
- Amazon: Made a vast selection of free eBooks available for download. Additionally, a 2-month free trial of Kindle Unlimited was offered, granting access to a larger library of digital books.
- Explore.org: Hosted a wide array of nature livestreams to help people feel connected to the outdoors. Content included streams featuring puppies, bald eagles, and pandas.
- JK Rowling: The acclaimed author published chapters of her new fairy tale, The Ickabog, free online for children and families.
- Kerri Bradford: Released a "Quarantine Life" word art digital freebie for digital scrapbooking enthusiasts.
- JohnnyRK: Offered a free music score titled "Rising Tide" for piano players. A recording of the piece was also available for listening.
- ThatsWhatchesaid: Provided a collection of 14 free SVG cut files for crafting, including a "Quarantine Coordinator" design. These files could be used for projects like T-shirts, tote bags, and tumblers.
- U.S. National Parks: While many parks remained open, they encouraged free entry to promote outdoor activity while social distancing. For those preferring to stay indoors, virtual tours of most national parks were available online.
Health, Wellness, and Insurance
Several services offered free or discounted products and plans to support physical and financial well-being.
- GetSure: Offered a free $25,000 life insurance policy to eligible individuals.
- FreeWill: Provided a free complete Will-Based Estate Plan for individuals and their spouses. This service was promoted as an essential tool for financial planning during uncertain times.
- Verizon: Offered significant discounts to nurses and teachers. Medical professionals were also noted to enjoy existing discounts through Verizon.
Fitness and Cooking Resources
To help individuals maintain their health and culinary skills at home, fitness brands and renowned chefs shared free resources.
- Blink Fitness: The gym chain live-streamed free workouts every weekday morning on Facebook.
- Gold’s Gym: Made its Gold’s Gym AMP app free for all users. The app provided access to over 600 audio and video workout guides.
- Peloton: Offered a 30-day free trial of its Peloton App. Beyond cycling, the app included yoga, cardio, and strength training classes.
- Massimo Bottura: The world-famous chef used Instagram to host live streams and videos of his dinner preparation, offering a unique look into his kitchen.
- Huntington’s Kitchen: This West Virginia community center continued its mission of educating people on cooking and healthy eating, even during the pandemic.
Travel and Lodging
Companies in the travel and lodging sector extended offers to support first responders and medical volunteers.
- AirBnB: Provided options for medical professionals needing accommodations close to their patients. The company also allowed users to register a home as an AirBnB rental specifically for healthcare workers.
- Delta Air Lines: Offered free flights to medical volunteers traveling to Georgia, Louisiana, Michigan, and New York.
- Hilton: Pledged to donate 1 million rooms to first responders and medical professionals through May 31.
- Rooms for Responders: This initiative provided free rooms for first responders in major cities.
- Spot Club: Offered free parking at any of its facilities. Users could join for free and use the code "HHERO6918" to redeem the offer.
Special Programs for Healthcare Workers
Recognizing the immense pressure on frontline staff, many businesses created exclusive discounts and benefits for healthcare professionals.
- Exclusive Hours and Line Access: Many businesses expanded hours exclusively for healthcare workers and allowed them to skip lines by showing their hospital badge.
- Verizon Discounts: In addition to teachers and nurses, medical professionals were eligible for existing discounts with Verizon.
Conclusion
The quarantine period prompted a widespread response from businesses and creators to provide free and discounted resources to the U.S. public. These offers spanned multiple categories, including food, digital entertainment, health services, fitness, travel, and specialized support for healthcare workers. While many of these specific promotions were time-limited, they demonstrated a broader trend of brands leveraging freebies and trials to maintain customer engagement and support communities during a global crisis. Consumers were advised to verify eligibility requirements, such as presenting a valid ID or hospital badge, and to check expiration dates before attempting to redeem any offer.