“Why not get 40 women together to actually help people in a physical way? “
You will be delighted to know that the women in my community who do this, ALSO spend their free time cooking for people who are ill or chalilah sitting shiva, visit them, drive their kids to and from school, shop for them, and take them to and from doc appointments. I think that is pretty physical. They get together and say Tehillim as a group, on a regular basis, for the cholim of the community. That is both physical and spiritual. B”H, they are ready to do any and all types of chessed as needed.