As the coronavirus pandemic continues, an effort is underway in Edmonds to provide ‘Millions of Masks for Children' across the country. The masks are being distributed this week in Washington state and several organizations have teamed up to provide them for free.
The masks will be delivered to child care and youth assistance programs throughout the state. The initiative also serves children in migrant, refugee and tribal communities. The Community Health Worker Coalition for Migrants and Refugees is helping to facilitate the distribution. Representative Ilena Ponce said paying for masks is often not in the budget for many.
FLTR is a supplier of personal protective equipment and provided one million masks for free. DHL donated delivery services and SEKO logistics is providing warehouse space.
An additional 135,000 masks are being donated to Children’s Hospital and University of Washington Medicine.
The ‘Millions of Masks for Children’ initiative is the brainchild of Trang Le and Shachar Zahavi, CEO of SmartAID.
It's a true team effort and Le said the silver lining of the COVID-19 pandemic is that it has united so many people and organizations together to donate resources and time to help each other.
Le points out that the one million masks here in Washington state is just the start, “We already have the next one million secured and they will be going to Utah, because this is going to be a nationwide effort!”
