Frontline 1st PPE COVID 19 Rescue Fund
Donation protected
As of March 26, the US has overtaken China as the country with the most COVID-19 cases in the world, with confirmed cases of 82,400 according to the Washington Journal. Chicagoland hospitals are running out of supplies for OUR frontline healthcare workers –doctors, nurses & healthcare staff who are treating COVID-19 patients. We want to prevent what happened in Italy where 1 in every 10 Coronavirus cases were healthcare workers. We want to protect the real heroes, our healthcare workers from falling sick with the novel coronavirus.
A week ago, I reached out to my former co-workers from my hospital days to see how they are doing. As a former respiratory therapist, I understand the risk and fear of our healthcare workers and what they have to go through to treat and care for patients. After listening to their concerns and stories, my heart was broken. I started wondering how I can help to make a small contribution.
First, it was puzzling to me how some of the largest distributors for medical supplies can’t get hold of these PPE products. After reading various articles and talking to hospital purchasers, it started to make sense. The distributor did not know how to manage the intricacies of buying products that are manufactured overseas.
Due to strong personal & professional relationships, we are able to secure a large supply of KN95, surgical masks, contactless thermometer & isolation gowns from certified equipment manufacturers to be shipped to Chicago. We have started this fundraising campaign to secure medical masks, and other Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), to the healthcare workers who need it most.
100% of donations will go directly into the acquisition and delivery of N95 masks, surgical masks, and Personal Protective Equipment for our frontline healthcare workers in Chicago’s busiest hospitals, immediate care, long term care, and senior living facilities. We already have healthcare workers waiting for these masks at all the major healthcare facilities in the Chicagoland area. They have told us that their facilities have either run out of masks or are reusing masks, which creates major health risks.
OUR GOAL
In Chicago, there are over 100 hospitals with several thousand residential-based healthcare providers at any given time. Our goal is to acquire, distribute, and deliver over one million PPE products to various health care facilities in Chicagoland with the help of your donations!
I have personally pledged to donate 20,000 masks and all of them have already been assigned to healthcare facilities. As the need is so big, I need your help to continue with this mission!!!
If we surpass our goal, we will keep acquiring additional PPE for frontline healthcare workers until every last penny is spent.
WHO WE ARE
Peter Agrawal is the founder of LED Phantom, which specializes in distributing quality LED lighting and control systems. He is a graduate of Northern Illinois University with an Accounting degree. Peter is a proud father of two little girls.
Udit Agarwal is the founder of NextWaveSTEM, bringing K-12 educators and students the opportunity to learn about 3d printing, drone coding, robotics, and AI. As a global citizen, he wants to help fight the Coronavirus, a global pandemic, by helping out local hospitals and healthcare workers by providing them with the PPE they need.
Eric Larsen is the President of Maverick Energy Solutions, a company dedicated to designing and manufacturing products that improve lives through reducing energy consumption. Eric previously served as the CEO of ASH North America, a Swiss-based company where he worked for 15 years. Eric a proud father of five children.
Varsha Shah is a medical hematologist/oncologist who is located in Milwaukee Wisconsin. She trained in internal medicine at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St Louis, MO and her fellowship training at Mount Sinai Hospital in NYC. Her passion is to keep her patients as well as her colleagues safe during these uncertain times.
FAQ
What does success look like?
If we can save one healthcare worker from being infected, we already consider ourselves successful. If a healthcare worker is infected, that means they will call in sick, meaning there is less coverage and reduces a hospital's capacity to properly take care of its patients, which has already begun happening.
Our goal is to get as many FDA approved PPE products to frontline healthcare workers as fast as possible. We're hearing that most hospitals in Chicagoland are either extremely low on supply or have already run out. Speed here is crucial. We also have been hearing that some hospitals around the country, as well as other frontline essential workers, are experiencing shortages as well.
How will the funds be used?
All of the funds will go directly to facilitating the purchase and delivery of masks and other urgent Personal Protective Equipment (eg. Contactless Thermometer, Isolation gowns, hazmat suit) for frontline healthcare workers in Chicagoland Healthcare facilities. Our entire leadership team is donating their time and will be leading this mission. Frontline 1st will not be benefiting financially in any way from this campaign.
We are committed to ensuring that our suppliers are giving us the most competitive rates available for FDA-licensed, genuine medical-grade PPE so that we can make sure that each dollar we raised is maximized for efficiency. Should we raise enough money and have enough access so supply, we hope to expand our donations to other hospitals in need.
What have you accomplished so far?
(1) We've figured out the entire supply chain from sourcing FDA-licensed medical masks, contactless thermometer, gowns, etc. to import, customs, and field distribution
(2) We are in contact with nearly every major healthcare facility in Chicagoland to assess their needs and quick delivery of these supplies when they come in.
Why aren’t the hospitals & government ordering these masks directly?
Hospitals, as well as government agencies, are trying their best to procure masks. However, due to supply chain limitations and global competition, they are currently experiencing extreme shortages. We are fortunate to have close relationships with many of the factories producing masks.
I’ve seen other charity efforts related to COVID-19. How is this one different?
Your donation will go directly to support the acquisition of masks & other urgent PPE for Chicagoland healthcare staff at the frontlines of COVID-19. Because of the global shortage of masks & PPE, your funds will be able to get equipment that is in great need and out of reach for hospitals currently. Unlike other charities, ours is related directly to the supply of masks & PPE, because we believe that protecting our frontline healthcare workers is the most important thing to do right now. We will be sharing photos & videos of healthcare workers receiving the donated equipment, so you can see your impact on the local community.
How are you procuring the masks?
Through our volunteer network, we are fortunate to have close relationships with some of the largest N95 & surgical mask suppliers in the world. The manufacturers are certified with the FDA to supply medical equipment. We have verified and have copies of their certification.
How much are you paying for the masks?
We are getting manufacturer pricing on the mask. As pricing depends on order quantity, shipping rate (in this case, the faster the better to protect our healthcare workers), and competing demand, the number may change. However, we have spent our time comparing prices across multiple manufacturers to get the best possible price per unit while making sure that each manufacturer has the right certification and approval by the FDA
How are you distributing the masks?
Through our volunteer network, we will be personally hand-delivering the masks to frontline medical workers at their hospitals, so that they get into the right hands.
How do you prioritize who receives the mask?
The healthcare workers on the frontline of COVID-19 are those in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and in the Emergency Room. We try our best to donate masks to ICU & ER Units within Chicago’s largest hospitals, as they are the ones who are likely to have the highest quantity of cases.
Are donations tax-deductible?
Currently, donations are not tax-deductible. If you know of a 501(c)3 charity in this space that would like to sponsor our effort, we would love to partner with them. Until then, we have realized that the need is so urgent that we must move forward and hope that you will donate.
A week ago, I reached out to my former co-workers from my hospital days to see how they are doing. As a former respiratory therapist, I understand the risk and fear of our healthcare workers and what they have to go through to treat and care for patients. After listening to their concerns and stories, my heart was broken. I started wondering how I can help to make a small contribution.
First, it was puzzling to me how some of the largest distributors for medical supplies can’t get hold of these PPE products. After reading various articles and talking to hospital purchasers, it started to make sense. The distributor did not know how to manage the intricacies of buying products that are manufactured overseas.
Due to strong personal & professional relationships, we are able to secure a large supply of KN95, surgical masks, contactless thermometer & isolation gowns from certified equipment manufacturers to be shipped to Chicago. We have started this fundraising campaign to secure medical masks, and other Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), to the healthcare workers who need it most.
100% of donations will go directly into the acquisition and delivery of N95 masks, surgical masks, and Personal Protective Equipment for our frontline healthcare workers in Chicago’s busiest hospitals, immediate care, long term care, and senior living facilities. We already have healthcare workers waiting for these masks at all the major healthcare facilities in the Chicagoland area. They have told us that their facilities have either run out of masks or are reusing masks, which creates major health risks.
OUR GOAL
In Chicago, there are over 100 hospitals with several thousand residential-based healthcare providers at any given time. Our goal is to acquire, distribute, and deliver over one million PPE products to various health care facilities in Chicagoland with the help of your donations!
I have personally pledged to donate 20,000 masks and all of them have already been assigned to healthcare facilities. As the need is so big, I need your help to continue with this mission!!!
If we surpass our goal, we will keep acquiring additional PPE for frontline healthcare workers until every last penny is spent.
WHO WE ARE
Peter Agrawal is the founder of LED Phantom, which specializes in distributing quality LED lighting and control systems. He is a graduate of Northern Illinois University with an Accounting degree. Peter is a proud father of two little girls.
Udit Agarwal is the founder of NextWaveSTEM, bringing K-12 educators and students the opportunity to learn about 3d printing, drone coding, robotics, and AI. As a global citizen, he wants to help fight the Coronavirus, a global pandemic, by helping out local hospitals and healthcare workers by providing them with the PPE they need.
Eric Larsen is the President of Maverick Energy Solutions, a company dedicated to designing and manufacturing products that improve lives through reducing energy consumption. Eric previously served as the CEO of ASH North America, a Swiss-based company where he worked for 15 years. Eric a proud father of five children.
Varsha Shah is a medical hematologist/oncologist who is located in Milwaukee Wisconsin. She trained in internal medicine at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St Louis, MO and her fellowship training at Mount Sinai Hospital in NYC. Her passion is to keep her patients as well as her colleagues safe during these uncertain times.
FAQ
What does success look like?
If we can save one healthcare worker from being infected, we already consider ourselves successful. If a healthcare worker is infected, that means they will call in sick, meaning there is less coverage and reduces a hospital's capacity to properly take care of its patients, which has already begun happening.
Our goal is to get as many FDA approved PPE products to frontline healthcare workers as fast as possible. We're hearing that most hospitals in Chicagoland are either extremely low on supply or have already run out. Speed here is crucial. We also have been hearing that some hospitals around the country, as well as other frontline essential workers, are experiencing shortages as well.
How will the funds be used?
All of the funds will go directly to facilitating the purchase and delivery of masks and other urgent Personal Protective Equipment (eg. Contactless Thermometer, Isolation gowns, hazmat suit) for frontline healthcare workers in Chicagoland Healthcare facilities. Our entire leadership team is donating their time and will be leading this mission. Frontline 1st will not be benefiting financially in any way from this campaign.
We are committed to ensuring that our suppliers are giving us the most competitive rates available for FDA-licensed, genuine medical-grade PPE so that we can make sure that each dollar we raised is maximized for efficiency. Should we raise enough money and have enough access so supply, we hope to expand our donations to other hospitals in need.
What have you accomplished so far?
(1) We've figured out the entire supply chain from sourcing FDA-licensed medical masks, contactless thermometer, gowns, etc. to import, customs, and field distribution
(2) We are in contact with nearly every major healthcare facility in Chicagoland to assess their needs and quick delivery of these supplies when they come in.
Why aren’t the hospitals & government ordering these masks directly?
Hospitals, as well as government agencies, are trying their best to procure masks. However, due to supply chain limitations and global competition, they are currently experiencing extreme shortages. We are fortunate to have close relationships with many of the factories producing masks.
I’ve seen other charity efforts related to COVID-19. How is this one different?
Your donation will go directly to support the acquisition of masks & other urgent PPE for Chicagoland healthcare staff at the frontlines of COVID-19. Because of the global shortage of masks & PPE, your funds will be able to get equipment that is in great need and out of reach for hospitals currently. Unlike other charities, ours is related directly to the supply of masks & PPE, because we believe that protecting our frontline healthcare workers is the most important thing to do right now. We will be sharing photos & videos of healthcare workers receiving the donated equipment, so you can see your impact on the local community.
How are you procuring the masks?
Through our volunteer network, we are fortunate to have close relationships with some of the largest N95 & surgical mask suppliers in the world. The manufacturers are certified with the FDA to supply medical equipment. We have verified and have copies of their certification.
How much are you paying for the masks?
We are getting manufacturer pricing on the mask. As pricing depends on order quantity, shipping rate (in this case, the faster the better to protect our healthcare workers), and competing demand, the number may change. However, we have spent our time comparing prices across multiple manufacturers to get the best possible price per unit while making sure that each manufacturer has the right certification and approval by the FDA
How are you distributing the masks?
Through our volunteer network, we will be personally hand-delivering the masks to frontline medical workers at their hospitals, so that they get into the right hands.
How do you prioritize who receives the mask?
The healthcare workers on the frontline of COVID-19 are those in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and in the Emergency Room. We try our best to donate masks to ICU & ER Units within Chicago’s largest hospitals, as they are the ones who are likely to have the highest quantity of cases.
Are donations tax-deductible?
Currently, donations are not tax-deductible. If you know of a 501(c)3 charity in this space that would like to sponsor our effort, we would love to partner with them. Until then, we have realized that the need is so urgent that we must move forward and hope that you will donate.
Fundraising team: Frontline 1st Team (7)
Peter Agarwal
Organizer
Bloomingdale, IL
Sejal Shah
Team member
Karl Wrobel
Team member
Eric Larsen
Team member
Udit Agarwal
Team member
