Masks for Life - Fight Against Corona Virus
July 13, 2020 - We have ended our campaign for now. Since March 20, we shipped over 95,000 surgical and KN95 masks to many organizations across the country. Without your donations, we couldn't have done this. Thank you for all your support!
SHORT VERSION: We are sending FREE surgical and KN95 masks to any organization / hospital / clinic / essential worker that needs it urgently and now. Since we started, we've already shipped over 90,000 masks to more than 180 organizations in the USA!
OVERVIEW
Our team has a wide range of voices, strengths, networks, and expertise, but we were all brought together now because we care about one thing--collaborating and contributing in our small but meaningful way to assist the fight against the corona virus pandemic. In order to reduce the spread of Covid-19, we are fundraising and procuring critical protective wear to ensure that our brave community warriors can continue to perform their jobs safely.
GOALS - THE FIVE W’s
WHAT - To provide PPE, namely face masks, to health workers, and secondarily to other essential frontline workers. We are buying FDA certified surgical and KN95 masks. One surgical masks costs around $0.45 each and the KN95 mask costs $1.70 landed here in the USA.
WHEN - First and foremost, to IMMEDIATELY fill in the most urgent gaps where financial resources are severely limited, supply chain barriers are faced, or major distribution channels have fallen short.
WHERE - To target groups in our backyard, specifically SF Bay Area but California in general, that assist underserved communities and historically marginalized groups that have no resources at all. We've also sent out to many organizations across the country.
WHO - Organizations that serve the homeless, disabled, elderly populations, LGBTQ community, as well as Asian & Pacific Islander, Native American, African-American, & Latino local healthcare groups, HIV/AIDS service organizations, and many other essential organizations/hospitals/clinics.
WHY - To make a direct impact in our local community, but ultimately be a contributing piece of the pie in a collaborative effort to flatten the curve of the Covid 19 pandemic.
HOW
Our founder, Max Lau, has a distribution infrastructure, including a Shanghai office, that imports products from Asia. As his daily operations slowed down under the wake of this global pandemic, he was inspired to utilize his new found time to meet this challenge head on. With a generous spirit, single-minded determination, and some elbow grease, he jumped on the bandwagon early to procure vendors, orders, and ship KN95 and surgical masks from China to his office in Hayward, CA. Upon receipt of the PPE, we rely on a comprehensive vetting system to identify the most desperate organizations and get them in their hands, or rather, on their faces.
FOR THE SKEPTICS
We have full transparency, keep accurate records of orders, shipping dates and tracking numbers, and moreover, have a proven track record of successful deliveries. Just look at the smiles of our donation recipients in our photos/updates. 100% of the funds received go toward the purchase and shipping of vital PPE products. We are NOT doing this to make any profit whatsoever. This is a NON-PROFIT in the purest sense, and in fact, we are all donors ourselves. Our compensation is the satisfaction of knowing that we did our part in this crisis, and we feel proud to be a part of this community of citizens, to “meet a challenge that binds us together even as it casts us apart.” It is the sight of the brilliant smiles and sense of relief that spills down the faces of our beneficiaries, relaxing their strained brows and burdened shoulders as they know they can step forward safely into another day with adequate protection.
MILESTONES
PHASE 1 ( COMPLETED MARCH 23, 2020)
We were able to secure 2000 surgical masks from China. Each mask costs $0.50 and the total cost is $1000 plus shipping cost. We already received enough to pay for these and we've already shipped to these 6 organizations/individuals:
Asian Health Services in Oakland
San Francisco Community Health Center
Kalihi Palama Health Center in Hawaii
Valleywise Health Medical Center in Arizona
HOAG Hospital in Newport Beach
Maya-Scott-Chung in Oakland who will deliver to hundreds of nurses and to LGBTQ people with disabilities and the elders 
PHASE 2 (COMPLETED MARCH 27, 2020)
We received enough money up to now (March 25) and ordered 6,000 surgical masks from a very reliable and well-known Chinese brand Sanqi. We have shipped out to these 19 organizations on March 27.
Meals on Wheel SF
Meals on Wheel NYC
Landmark Health LA
Winslow Indian Health Care Center AZ
Navajo Police Window Rock District AZ
Hawaii Health & Harm Reduction Services HI
APAIT - Special Service for Groups LA
ICHS Seattle
Glow Fund in the UK (Refugee Camps)
North East Medical Services Daily City
HOPE Clinic TX
Crescent Care Louisiana
West County Health Centers Sonoma County
First Nations Community HealthSource NM
Russian River Health Services Sonoma County
SF Free Clinic
HealthRIGHT 360 SF
South of Market Health Center SF
BAART Turk Clinic SF
BAART Lynwood Clinic Southern CA
PHASE 3 (COMPLETED APRIL 10)
We ordered another batch of 6,000 surgical masks with the money we've received thus far (March 26). We've received this new batch (April 10) and we've shipping them out or having them available for pick-up in the Bay Area. List of organizations below.
PHASE 4A (COMPLETED APRIL 14)
A - We have found a reliable and trusted supplier of hospital and KN95 masks who is FDA certified. We placed an order of 3,000 on March 26 and they arrived this past week (April 8) at Max's warehouse in Hayward. List of organizations below.
PHASE 4B (COMPLETED MAY 5)
B- MAJOR NEWS! With today's (March 27) donation reaching over $32K, we just placed our biggest order yet! 30,000 surgical masks and 4,000 KN95 masks! Thank you all for the donations. It's really making a difference.
Updated April 15 - ALL of the masks from Phase 3, 4A and 4B have finally arrived and now we're shipping them out or making them available for pick-up. Here is a list of the organizations who have received and are about to receive our masks:
SHIPPED ON APRIL 11
Native American Health Center - CA
Roots Community Health Center - CA
Tom Waddell Urban Health Clinic SF - CA
Alta Bates Summit Medical Center (direct to nurses) - CA
Highland Hospital Nurse Midwives - CA
Disability Justice Culture Club - CA
Sue Ryder - UK
Asylum Welcome - UK
Stonesfield Oxfordshire local perish council - UK
LGBTQCore Provincetown - MA
Hawaii Health & Harm Reduction Center - HI
Wilton Rancheria Tribal Health Dept. - CA
Chinle Indian Health Services - AZ
Young Women's Freedom Center - CA
Tenderloin Housing Clinic - CA
Baylor Scott and White College Station - TX
Wyckoff Heights Medical Center - NY
Millbrae Skilled Care - CA
Medical Hill Rehab Center -CA
Intergro Rehab Services McClure Post Acute - CA
Intergro Rehab SF Ellis - CA
St James Infirmary - CA
Victorian Post Acute - CA
Intergro Rehab SF Mission - CA
East Bay Asian Local Development - CA
San Francisco Community Health Center (2nd Delivery) - CA
Home Helpers - CA
Montecito Manor Assisted Living Facility for the Elderly - CA
SHIPPED ON APRIL 14
Cascade AIDS Project - OR
Kindred Health Care - CA
Interfaith Medical Center - NY
San Bruno Skilled Nursing - CA
Pleasant Hill Post Acute- CA
Moraga Post Acute- CA
Port of Oakland/Oakland International Airport - CA
Glow Fund (2nd Delivery) - UK
APAIT - Special Service for Groups (2nd Delivery) - CA
SUNY Downstate Hospital Emergency Department - NY
Mosaic Medical - OR
Citylife Presbyterian Church - MA
Santa Cruz Post Acute - CA
Dellridge Rehab & Healthcare Center - NJ
Meals on Wheels San Francisco (2nd Delivery) - CA
Carlton Senior Living - CA
SHIPPED ON APRIL 20
Navajo Nation - Northern & Western Mutual Aide Group - NM
Cornucopia Logistics - NY
Tate’s - FL
Big Bear Lake Indivisible - CA
WestCoast Children's Clinic - CA
HOPE Clinic - TX
Lakeland Regional Health - FL
SHIPPED ON APRIL 29
Sioux Nation of Indians - NE
SF AIDS Foundation - CA
East Lake United for Justice - CA
Master Healthcare Solutions - CA
Roots Naturopathic Medicine - WA
Disability Justice Culture Club (2nd shipment) - CA
Tandem in Care Physical Therapy - NY
Touch NJ Food Pantry - NJ
Pacifica Senior Living (Oakland Heights) - CA
Securitas - CA
MV Transportation - CA
Dental Force - CA
Oakland Prívate Industry Council - CA
Malonga Arts Residents Association - CA
La Clinica North Vallejo - CA
Center for Elders' Independence - CA
Citymeals on Wheels (2nd Shipment) - NY
South of Market Health Center - CA
San Francisco Free Clinic (2nd Shipment) - CA
SHIPPED ON MAY 5
Union Rescue Mission - CA
Central Care Physical Therapy - CA
Bayview Rehab Hospital - CA
Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center - NY
Radford Green Healthcare and Rehab - IL
La Jolla Nursing and Rehab - CA
Alta Bates Summit Medical Center (direct to nurses) - CA
SF Community Health Center - CA
PHASE 5 (COMPLETED)
With the money raised up to April 15, we placed a new order for 24,000 surgical masks and 4,500 KN95 masks. AND THEY ARRIVED TODAY (May 29)! And we don't waste any minute. Today we shipped out these organizations who were on our wait list plus to some who need more masks from us.
SHIPPED ON MAY 29
Asian Women's Shelter - SF, CA
Jenesse Center - LA, CA
East Los Angeles Women's Center - LA, CA
Florida Medical Center - FL
Rehabcare - LA, CA
Kaci Kuykendall DDS - Turlock, CA
Korean American Family Services - LA, CA
Asian Resources - Sacramento, CA
Center for the Pacific Asian Family - CA
Jones Health and Chiropractic - CA
Arriba Las Vegas Worker Center - LV, NV
Los Angeles Humanitarian Initiative - LA, CA
Sioux Nation of Indians (2nd Shipment) - NE
Chinle Indian Health Services (2nd Shipment) - AZ
Touch NJ Food Pantry (2nd Shipment) - NJ
Cascade AIDS Project (2nd Shipment) - OR
SHIPPED ON JUNE 4
HOPE Clinic (Asian American Health Coalition) - TX
La Clinica North Vallejo - CA
La Jolla Nursing and Rehab - CA
WestCoast Children's Clinic - CA
Roots Community Health Center - CA
Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center - NY
Bay Park Nursing home - NY
Radford Green Healthcare and Rehab - IL
Master Healthcare Solutions, LLC - CA
Native American Health Center - CA
Tandem in Care Physical Therapy - NY
St James Infirmary - CA
Wilton Rancheria Tribal Health Dept. - CA
Hawaii Health & Harm Reduction Center - HI
SHIPPED ON JUNE 12
LGBTQCore Provincetown - MA
Healthpro/Chris Jensen - MN
Prestige Med Group - FL
Latinx Center of Excellence @ UCSF - CA
Foothill Community Health Center - CA
Dental Force - CA
Pacifica Senior Living - CA
Malonga Arts Residents Association - CA
Nursing Homes - NJ
SHIPPED ON JULY 15
Wilton Rancheria Tribal Health Dept.
East Lake United for Justice - Covid 19 Mutual Aid
Victorian Post Acute
Cascade AIDS Project
Imperial Valley Detention Center
Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center
Master Healthcare Solutions, LLC
HOPE Clinic
Rehabcare /Kindred Healthcare Los Angeles
Hollywood belmont/rehabcare
Visions Care alliance
Lake Balboa Care Center
Autumn Hills Healthcare Center
St James Infirmary
Sioux Nation of Indians
North East Medical Services
Big Bear Lake Indivisible
PHASE 6 (COMPLETED)
On May 11, we received a large private donation of $10,000 from the The Strategy Lab at the San Francisco Foundation. With this donation, we placed an order for 14,000 surgical masks and 5,000 KN95 masks. We've already shipped over 75,000 masks so far and shipping out more as requests come in.
ORGANIZATIONS IN NEED?
If you know of one or are a community organization, clinic, hospital or essential worker who needs surgical and/KN95 masks, we will put you on a list and will deliver them as soon as we have them available. Click on the MASKS REQUEST FORM link below. This is the only way for us to get your organization's info, assess your needs and maximize efficiency in delivery.
WE ARE NO LONGER ACCEPTING REQUESTS FOR MASKS.
PLEASE DONATE IF YOU CAN
100% of your donations will go directly into buying these masks and shipping to them. It's a small thing we all can do to help. We need the funds asap so that we can ship/mail/drive/walk/run them to the organizations and hospitals. So we don't have much time to waste. Our hospitals, health workers and essential workers need them now.
If you are an organization and have the funds to pay for them, please donate. We will ship them to you!
We truly appreciate your generosity and support. And stay healthy and stay at home.
Masks For Life Team
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ACCOUNTABILITY, TRANSPARENCY & TRUST
A Note from Max
This is my first gofundme campaign and many know and trust me. That's why you see the amount raised so far. But for those who don't know me (you can read my short bio below), I want to be fully transparent with the financing and show you the proofs. I WANT FULL TRANSPARENCY. I EXPECT FULL TRANSPARENCY from any fundraising campaign. And I know you do too. So below is the proof but I did black out some stuff for privacy. 
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FAQ
What is the difference between N95 and KN95 respiratory face masks?
They are basically all the same. They stop 95% of particles >0.3 microns in size. The N95 is the USA Code while KN95 is China code. Also KF94 is Korea code and FFP2 is the EU code, this includes the UK. KN95, KF95 and FFP2 face masks are N95 face mask alternatives & N95 equivalents. They are all the same.
What is the difference between a STANDARD N95/KN95 mask and a SURGICAL N95/KN95 masks?
We are providing STANDARD KN95 masks, NOT surgical KN95. And here is the difference.
The N95 surgical mask is literally a combination of N95 respirator and surgical mask, it is both certificated by NIOSH as an N95 respirator and also cleared by the FDA as a surgical mask. N95 surgical respirator masks are also referred to as medical respirators, healthcare respirators, or surgical N95s.
The significant difference between a standard N95 mask and a surgical N95 mask is that the surgical N95 mask is fluid-resistant while the standard N95 masks is not.
A standard N95 mask, also called N95 dust mask or N95 pollution mask, helps reduce very small particles inhaled by the user, and it is used for respiratory protection when the user might be exposed to particulate hazards. With a fluid resistance plus, an N95 surgical mask help reduce particles both inhaled and exhaled by the user, it is designed to be used during surgery and nursing tasks, whatever the user requires respiratory protection, expelled particulates or requires fluid resistance. Surgical vs N95 vx Surgical N95
So if you are a hospital who requires SURGICAL KN95, please don't request it from us. We understand that certain hospital have much higher stringent requirements than other hospitals, clinics, community health centers and organizations. We don't want to waste our supply to those who can't use them. We have plenty of places who need these standard KN95 masks that are FDA approved.
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Organizers from the Uncles Social Club & Friends:
Max Lau - Lives and works in Berkeley, CA. Works with his sisters at Ficcare Hair Accessories, Clip-rite Office Supplies and Catch-a-caca Pet products with over 15 years of extensive experience and knowledge in outsourcing and shipping products globally. He's also been a Queer API community activist, organizer and fundraiser for many organizations like the Jade Ribbon Campaign at Stanford Hospital and AIDS Relief Fund for China. He was the publisher and editor-in-chief of Noodle Magazine in the early 2000's, a Gay API Lifestyle Magazine. "Sometimes we feel so helpless; so rather than just feel helpless, I decided to do something about it. Help me get these masks to the most important people in the front line against this virus, especially from the marginalized communities."
Henry Ocampo - Lives in Fremont, CA, and has worked for over 20 years in social services profession with extensive experience addressing minority health, health disparities, non-profit management, organizational development, community mobilization, group facilitation and trainings, budget management, and community relations. More than 17 years working closely with local, state and federal agencies and offices working with minority health disparity issues. Worked to bring attention of disparities and assisted in the planning of action steps to address community challenges.
Christine Lee - Lives in Los Angeles, CA after being a Bay Area resident and doctor for 20+ years. She is a board-certified Ob/Gyn having recently retired from a busy private practice in Oakland/Berkeley/Lafayette for Alta Bates Summit Medical Center and UHA, a division of Stanford Healthcare. She is a graduate of Harvard University, NYU Medical School, and did her residency at UCSF. "In my field of medicine, I was used to emergencies all the time and would go into crisis mode. As we shelter-in-place, I felt helpless as I was unable to do what I used to do, help others in crisis. So I decided, like Max, to help those who are on the frontlines by getting them what they need to do their jobs safely."
Mira Kwon - A high school junior at Marlborough School in Los Angeles. She is very active in her community from volunteering at non-profits like Liberty in North Korea and Alexandria House to pushing for greater Asian representation at her school by creating the first Korean language class. After feeling helpless just sitting at home, she decided to work with her mom, Christine Lee, to get involved, focusing on reaching out to the younger generations through social media and networking. Her ultimate goal is to help raise awareness and empower the youth through this campaign to help fight.
Daniel Chin - Lives in Berkeley, CA, and is the VP/CFO at Ghilotti Bros.,Inc. Dan has co-founded the AIDS Relief Fund for China (ARFC), a public charitable organization dedicated to supporting broad-based HIV/AIDS prevention, care and treatment efforts in China. Through fundraising and effective grant making, ARFC support individuals and organizations in China in fighting HIV/AIDS. "We stand in solidarity with global efforts to end HIV stigma and to empower people and communities living with HIV."
Aaron Deemer is the founder and director of the Glow Fund. The inspiration to start the Glow Fund came on a trip to Sichuan in 2003, when Aaron met Dolma, a seven-year-old girl with scoliosis. Seeing how difficult her life would be with this condition, he decided to try and help her. Almost 15 years on, Aaron is still in regular contact with Dolma, this healthy, intelligent, hard working young woman. She is the inspiration for this work. She reminds us of what is possible if we reach out and help a stranger. Alongside his volunteer work with the Glow Fund, Aaron lives in London, and works as a Five Element Acupuncturist.
Cesar Cadabes - Lives in San Francisco, CA, and is program management specialist possessing more than 20 years of experience within a diversity of institutions including; public health departments, academic and research institutions, and nonprofit community-based organizations in both clinical and non-clinical settings and a strong strategic planner with effective leadership skills to motivate colleagues and varied stakeholders.
Aaron Woo is the CEO and Founder of Essential Solutions, one of Silicon Valley's premier boutique retained executive search firms focused on placing key strategic leaders - C-level, VP, BOD-level, and other senior technical executives in the AI, Consumer Tech, Cloud, SaaS, Security, IT/Internet Infrastructure, analytics, IOT, wireless, communications systems, Mobile, Storage, Sensor Technologies, analog/RF/mixed signal semiconductors, cleantech, and related industries. Aaron has successfully managed and completed several hundred senior level executive searches for many top tier startups up thru top public companies. As a result, Essential Solutions has become a trusted partner to company founders, CEOs, venture investors, board members and executive teams in Silicon Valley and throughout the world.
Prescott Chow has worked in capacity building in the healthcare sector both domestically and internationally.
Steve Lew - Leadership and management in nonprofit organizations, nonprofit consulting, training and coaching. He specializes in fund development, board development, multicultural organizational development and strategic planning.
Maya Scott-Chung lives in Oakland with her spouse Chino, their daughter Luna, mother-in-law Teresa and 4 lively cats. Their family has been active in APIQWTC, API Family Pride, and are co-founders of BabyBuds, a multiracial trans and queer family group. Maya is a grassroots organizer and fundraiser, massage therapist, public health educator and is co-founder of SprOUT Family with Dr. Kathy Hsiao. “I am so grateful to volunteer with Masks for Life to help protect our communities and support efforts centering BIPOC LGBTTSQI+ health providers, first responders, unhoused folks, people with disabilities, fat folks, elders and others whose lives and health are especially at risk during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Uncles Social Club is a quarterly gathering of Gay and Queer Asian and Pacific Islander men 40 years and older. This group was created to provide a social, cultural, spiritual re-connection with our community and to honor what we’ve built these past 2-3 decades. We’ve come to learn that the work is never really done in contending with stigma, isolation, ageism, and discrimination. Our response to that is to be proactive in nurturing the connections and friendships that were born out of our personal coming out journeys, our finding and building community together, and our fighting against AIDS. We will do that by providing gatherings on a quarterly basis, organizing social excursions, and having conversations on matters that are important to us all.
