Masks 4 WA: Coronavirus Support Fund in Washington
Donation protected
THE WHY
“As of 1pm of March 16, King5 News reported that fewer supplies are coming in and it may become a “critical issue” for many facilities within the next two weeks. The state is asking for 64,690 N-95 masks, 154,103 surgical masks, 29,344 face shields, and 23,925 gowns. But state officials received just 25% of what was asked for, according to Stromme Warren. (source: Read Source Here)
"At any given time, we are days away from running out of personal protective equipment," says Melissa Tizon with Providence St. Joseph Health. -@Q13FoxNews (source: Read Source Here)
Hospitals in Washington state are running out of critical supplies for Seattle healthcare workers. The number of coronavirus cases is predicted to peak within a few weeks and supplies of essential protective equipment are already running low. Currently, most doctors, nurses and other healthcare staff who are treating COVID-19 patients are limited to one mask per day because of the extreme shortage, and they are unable to even drink water when wearing the masks because breaking the seal of the mask renders it useless for protection thereafter. Some healthcare workers soon will not even have access to a proper mask and will have to resort to using bandanas or other inadequate forms of protection. Current sourcing times for masks from fundraising campaigns or conventional commercial routes may take up to two to three weeks - too slow in this critical time.
We are holding this fundraising campaign in order to secure medical masks quickly - within a week - for the Seattle area healthcare workers who need it the most.
It is heart-breaking to see our healthcare workers on the front lines so low on the basic protective gear that can mean life or death to them, and we want to do our part as members of the greater Seattle community. Our team has communicated with local medical professionals, educators, state government officials, and hospital administrators to identify their greatest need: masks. Harnessing our longstanding and trusted personal and professional relationships, we have been able to secure a large supply of KN95 and surgical masks from certified equipment manufacturers that can be shipped quickly to Seattle.
We are grateful to have close relationships with many of the factories producing masks and more importantly, we are able to get them here quickly. However, time is of the essence because with each passing day, cases continue to grow and supplies dwindle. We have the ability to get these supplies to our healthcare workers within 3-5 business days, compared to the standard 7-14 business day shipping time.
THE GOAL
The first $10,000 committed will acquire a mix of 6,000 KN95 and surgical masks to arrive on this Wednesday 3/25, in Seattle
An additional $15,000 will acquire 7,500 KN95 masks to arrive by Monday 3/30, in Seattle
A further $60,000 will acquire 20,000 KN95 and additional 20,000 surgical masks to arrive by Monday 3/30, in Seattle
*NB: Since KN95 masks are more expensive than surgical masks, the costs differ based on product mix and quantity.
Reaching our $100,000 fundraising goal will allow us to purchase and distribute around 27,000 units of KN95 and 50,000 units of surgical masks to Seattle frontline healthcare workers. Any additional funds raised above and beyond our goal will be used to purchase masks for other hospitals around Washington state. We want to help ensure that our frontline healthcare workers never need to reuse masks, and that hospitals can continue their operations without worrying about their supplies.
If you have a few to a few hundred masks at home, please consider donating them! See FAQ section for more details.
THE HOSPITALS
We hope to add to this list as our fundraising grows! If you work at a hospital in Washington State and are interested in being added to this list, please email us at:
[email redacted]
1. UW Medicine
2. Swedish Medical Center
3. Seattle Children’s Hospital
OUR ACCOUNTABILITY
Once the masks are delivered, we will post pictures and updates on our Instagram account, so you can keep track of the quantity and location of our mask donations.
Please follow us on instagram: @masks4wa
OUR STORY
We are local Seattleites that feel compelled to do something about the shortage of protective equipment for our healthcare workers in our hospitals, fighting COVID-19. Collectively, we have a deep understanding of the complex supply chain and are able to procure masks for our healthcare workers that we care so deeply for. With your donation, we will be able to help meet the demand for masks and ensure our healthcare workers and patients alike are protected –quickly.
The families of our organizers Crysti, Ryan and Kate have been living in the pandemic in China starting January, and they intimately understand the concerns and fears that our Seattleites are going through now - and the frustration of frontline responders not having enough protective equipment to do their critical jobs. We went from procuring masks for China in February to procuring masks for Seattle because we want to help wherever it is needed - we are all in this together as a city, as a country, and as a world.
WHO WE ARE
Crysti Chen is UW 15’ alum, co-founder of UniWill Ventures. A resident of Washington state for over 10 years, she now works with entrepreneurs, manufacturers and cross border businesses between the US and China.
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chenzinancrysti/
Ryan Fan is UW 15’ alum, founder of Lafayette Coffee. A Seattle resident for over 10 years, his business includes partnerships with manufacturing and logistics companies, local retailers and national chain stores in Seattle and China.
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yuyangfan/
Stephanie Kim is co-founder of Moonlit Skincare. She lives in Ballard, Seattle and works closely with supply chains globally and corresponds directly with manufacturers in Indonesia, China, and the US.
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-kim-004975156/
Kate Wang is Vice President of MyCOS, China’s leading data analytics and consulting firm focused on higher education. Born in China, she grew up in Olympia, WA and obtained her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Harvard University.
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katekewang
FAQ
How do I know what you’ll do with the money?
100% of the funds will go directly to the purchase and delivery of masks for frontline healthcare workers at the University of Washington (UW), Swedish Medical Center, and Seattle Children's Hospital.
As volunteers, we will not be taking a single penny from your donations, and we will ensure that our suppliers give us the absolute best rates with no markup. If we exceed our goal, we will continue to purchase supplies and distribute them to other hospitals in need. As mentioned, we will post delivery updates on Instagram for accountability.
Why should I care about Seattle?
Seattle is the site of the first outbreak on US soil, and we have been fighting this pandemic for weeks, with 147 confirmed deaths and 3207 cases (as of March 26, 2020) and increasing. (Read Source Here )
How is this fundraising campaign different from the many others going on?
Due to supply chain limitations and the global scale of the virus, Seattle hospitals are currently experiencing extreme shortages and very slow processing times for equipment sourcing. As a team, we are grateful to have close relationships with many of the factories producing masks and more importantly, we are able to get them here within 3-5 business days vs the standard 7-14 business days.
How are you procuring the masks?
We have longstanding and close relationships with some of the largest KN95 & surgical mask suppliers in the world.
How much are you paying for the masks?
We work directly with the manufacturers, no middlemen involved. Every penny of your donation will go towards the cost of the masks and shipping. Exact cost is determined by order quantity, the shipping speed (we will opt for the fastest speed in order to get the masks ASAP to our healthcare workers), and demand.
How will the masks get to the hospitals?
Our team will personally ensure delivery to UW Medicine, Swedish Medical Center, and Seattle Children’s Hospital.
Who will get to use the masks?
According to the hospitals, healthcare workers at the frontline of COVID-19 are those in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and in the Emergency Room (ER). Each hospital will prioritize giving the donated masks to ICU & ER Units as they are the ones who are likely to see the highest quantity of COVID-19 cases.
Aside from donations, how can we help?
- If you have extra packaged and sealed KN95 masks, N95 masks or surgical masks and live in the Greater Seattle area, you can drop off directly at Seattle Children’s Hospital. They accept curbside drop off of unopened boxes or bags of masks between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Monday-Friday at the Seattle Children’s Guild Association Office, located within the Seattle Children’s Administrative Building located at 6901 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA 98115. Even one or two masks will be helpful and gladly accepted.
- Spread the word! Rally your friends and family to donate to this mighty effort. The doctors and nurses are our heroes!
- Media/press, please contact us with a subject headline “Media inquiry”.
- Our e-mail: [email redacted]
- Follow us: Instagram @masks4wa
FDA Certification from our Manufacturer for KN95 Masks (personal identifying information has been blacked out to preserve privacy)
“As of 1pm of March 16, King5 News reported that fewer supplies are coming in and it may become a “critical issue” for many facilities within the next two weeks. The state is asking for 64,690 N-95 masks, 154,103 surgical masks, 29,344 face shields, and 23,925 gowns. But state officials received just 25% of what was asked for, according to Stromme Warren. (source: Read Source Here)
"At any given time, we are days away from running out of personal protective equipment," says Melissa Tizon with Providence St. Joseph Health. -@Q13FoxNews (source: Read Source Here)
Hospitals in Washington state are running out of critical supplies for Seattle healthcare workers. The number of coronavirus cases is predicted to peak within a few weeks and supplies of essential protective equipment are already running low. Currently, most doctors, nurses and other healthcare staff who are treating COVID-19 patients are limited to one mask per day because of the extreme shortage, and they are unable to even drink water when wearing the masks because breaking the seal of the mask renders it useless for protection thereafter. Some healthcare workers soon will not even have access to a proper mask and will have to resort to using bandanas or other inadequate forms of protection. Current sourcing times for masks from fundraising campaigns or conventional commercial routes may take up to two to three weeks - too slow in this critical time.
We are holding this fundraising campaign in order to secure medical masks quickly - within a week - for the Seattle area healthcare workers who need it the most.
It is heart-breaking to see our healthcare workers on the front lines so low on the basic protective gear that can mean life or death to them, and we want to do our part as members of the greater Seattle community. Our team has communicated with local medical professionals, educators, state government officials, and hospital administrators to identify their greatest need: masks. Harnessing our longstanding and trusted personal and professional relationships, we have been able to secure a large supply of KN95 and surgical masks from certified equipment manufacturers that can be shipped quickly to Seattle.
We are grateful to have close relationships with many of the factories producing masks and more importantly, we are able to get them here quickly. However, time is of the essence because with each passing day, cases continue to grow and supplies dwindle. We have the ability to get these supplies to our healthcare workers within 3-5 business days, compared to the standard 7-14 business day shipping time.
THE GOAL
The first $10,000 committed will acquire a mix of 6,000 KN95 and surgical masks to arrive on this Wednesday 3/25, in Seattle
An additional $15,000 will acquire 7,500 KN95 masks to arrive by Monday 3/30, in Seattle
A further $60,000 will acquire 20,000 KN95 and additional 20,000 surgical masks to arrive by Monday 3/30, in Seattle
*NB: Since KN95 masks are more expensive than surgical masks, the costs differ based on product mix and quantity.
Reaching our $100,000 fundraising goal will allow us to purchase and distribute around 27,000 units of KN95 and 50,000 units of surgical masks to Seattle frontline healthcare workers. Any additional funds raised above and beyond our goal will be used to purchase masks for other hospitals around Washington state. We want to help ensure that our frontline healthcare workers never need to reuse masks, and that hospitals can continue their operations without worrying about their supplies.
If you have a few to a few hundred masks at home, please consider donating them! See FAQ section for more details.
THE HOSPITALS
We hope to add to this list as our fundraising grows! If you work at a hospital in Washington State and are interested in being added to this list, please email us at:
[email redacted]
1. UW Medicine
2. Swedish Medical Center
3. Seattle Children’s Hospital
OUR ACCOUNTABILITY
Once the masks are delivered, we will post pictures and updates on our Instagram account, so you can keep track of the quantity and location of our mask donations.
Please follow us on instagram: @masks4wa
OUR STORY
We are local Seattleites that feel compelled to do something about the shortage of protective equipment for our healthcare workers in our hospitals, fighting COVID-19. Collectively, we have a deep understanding of the complex supply chain and are able to procure masks for our healthcare workers that we care so deeply for. With your donation, we will be able to help meet the demand for masks and ensure our healthcare workers and patients alike are protected –quickly.
The families of our organizers Crysti, Ryan and Kate have been living in the pandemic in China starting January, and they intimately understand the concerns and fears that our Seattleites are going through now - and the frustration of frontline responders not having enough protective equipment to do their critical jobs. We went from procuring masks for China in February to procuring masks for Seattle because we want to help wherever it is needed - we are all in this together as a city, as a country, and as a world.
WHO WE ARE
Crysti Chen is UW 15’ alum, co-founder of UniWill Ventures. A resident of Washington state for over 10 years, she now works with entrepreneurs, manufacturers and cross border businesses between the US and China.
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chenzinancrysti/
Ryan Fan is UW 15’ alum, founder of Lafayette Coffee. A Seattle resident for over 10 years, his business includes partnerships with manufacturing and logistics companies, local retailers and national chain stores in Seattle and China.
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yuyangfan/
Stephanie Kim is co-founder of Moonlit Skincare. She lives in Ballard, Seattle and works closely with supply chains globally and corresponds directly with manufacturers in Indonesia, China, and the US.
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-kim-004975156/
Kate Wang is Vice President of MyCOS, China’s leading data analytics and consulting firm focused on higher education. Born in China, she grew up in Olympia, WA and obtained her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Harvard University.
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katekewang
FAQ
How do I know what you’ll do with the money?
100% of the funds will go directly to the purchase and delivery of masks for frontline healthcare workers at the University of Washington (UW), Swedish Medical Center, and Seattle Children's Hospital.
As volunteers, we will not be taking a single penny from your donations, and we will ensure that our suppliers give us the absolute best rates with no markup. If we exceed our goal, we will continue to purchase supplies and distribute them to other hospitals in need. As mentioned, we will post delivery updates on Instagram for accountability.
Why should I care about Seattle?
Seattle is the site of the first outbreak on US soil, and we have been fighting this pandemic for weeks, with 147 confirmed deaths and 3207 cases (as of March 26, 2020) and increasing. (Read Source Here )
How is this fundraising campaign different from the many others going on?
Due to supply chain limitations and the global scale of the virus, Seattle hospitals are currently experiencing extreme shortages and very slow processing times for equipment sourcing. As a team, we are grateful to have close relationships with many of the factories producing masks and more importantly, we are able to get them here within 3-5 business days vs the standard 7-14 business days.
How are you procuring the masks?
We have longstanding and close relationships with some of the largest KN95 & surgical mask suppliers in the world.
How much are you paying for the masks?
We work directly with the manufacturers, no middlemen involved. Every penny of your donation will go towards the cost of the masks and shipping. Exact cost is determined by order quantity, the shipping speed (we will opt for the fastest speed in order to get the masks ASAP to our healthcare workers), and demand.
How will the masks get to the hospitals?
Our team will personally ensure delivery to UW Medicine, Swedish Medical Center, and Seattle Children’s Hospital.
Who will get to use the masks?
According to the hospitals, healthcare workers at the frontline of COVID-19 are those in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and in the Emergency Room (ER). Each hospital will prioritize giving the donated masks to ICU & ER Units as they are the ones who are likely to see the highest quantity of COVID-19 cases.
Aside from donations, how can we help?
- If you have extra packaged and sealed KN95 masks, N95 masks or surgical masks and live in the Greater Seattle area, you can drop off directly at Seattle Children’s Hospital. They accept curbside drop off of unopened boxes or bags of masks between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Monday-Friday at the Seattle Children’s Guild Association Office, located within the Seattle Children’s Administrative Building located at 6901 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA 98115. Even one or two masks will be helpful and gladly accepted.
- Spread the word! Rally your friends and family to donate to this mighty effort. The doctors and nurses are our heroes!
- Media/press, please contact us with a subject headline “Media inquiry”.
- Our e-mail: [email redacted]
- Follow us: Instagram @masks4wa
FDA Certification from our Manufacturer for KN95 Masks (personal identifying information has been blacked out to preserve privacy)
Fundraising team (3)
Zinan Crysti Chen
Organizer
Seattle, WA
Kate Wang
Team member
Stephanie Kim
Team member
