Real Heroes Need Masks
Donation protected
Real Heroes Need Masks (https://www.realheroesneedmasks.com/) is a social initiative whose mission is to streamline the donation process, fairly identify and distribute mask donations to hospitals and facilities in need and build awareness of the personal protective equipment (PPE) shortage in the COVID-19 pandemic.
Read about us in the news:
Inside Indiana Business: https://www.wishtv.com/news/inside-indiana-business/national-campaign-donates-masks-to-hoosier-hospitals/#
Kelley School of Business: https://blog.kelley.iu.edu/2020/04/14/faculty-at-kelley-offer-their-innovative-and-entrepreneurial-expertise-to-fighting-covid-19
Our Story
We formed out of a weekend accelerator 10 days ago on March 20, 2020, with faculty, students and professionals affiliated with the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University. Our co-founders Dr. Amani Jambhekar and Dr. Mona Stone are surgeons who wanted to find a way to give back to communities in need.
Healthcare professionals are being asked to reuse and conserve PPE although this increases their risk of contracting COVID-19 or infecting their families. More than 9000 medical workers have been infected with COVID-19 while caring for us. Over 200 healthcare professionals have lost their lives worldwide due to inadequate protection. (https://n.pr/2yO8h55)
The situation is even direr for smaller facilities in hard-hit areas that do not have the resources or media presence to ask the public for donations. As a solution to this supply gap, our model is to leverage our network to source surgical masks from certified factories and deliver them directly to the communities with the most urgent need.
It is our responsibility to protect our doctors, our heroes, by providing them with PPE. We started this fundraising campaign to help fund the operation and are pledging 100% of our GoFundMe donations to purchase and deliver masks.
Why our team?
We are a team of physicians, professors, professionals and students across different fields. Our unique diversity in backgrounds and skill sets enables us to:
· Focus on targeted distribution. We have a network of volunteer physician coordinators who help connect us to hospitals and facilities with the most urgent need in their local areas.
· Secure reliable supply sources. With the help of Indiana University students, we have developed direct and reliable relationships with FDA-verified manufacturers to source our masks. Because of the global shortage of masks & PPE, donating to an academic social venture is the best way to ensure counterfeit products aren’t being donated to hospital workers.
· Accomplish what we promise. We have been able to donate 21,600 masks to 32 hospitals and clinics in the states of Louisiana, New York, New Jersey, Georgia, Indiana, Texas, and California. For more details, please see here: https://www.realheroesneedmasks.com/donate
Our Campaign Goal
Our goal going forward is to acquire, distribute, and deliver FIFTY THOUSAND (50,000) surgical masks to those most in need! We anticipate the cost of surgical masks to continue rising in the foreseeable future and budget on average $0.6/mask. Your donations will go a long way.
If we surpass our goal, we will keep acquiring additional PPE for frontline healthcare workers until every last penny is spent.
Join us today to help protect our medical workers! Please leave a comment for us to get to know you. Your comments will encourage others to act for the cause. Share with us
- Where you’re from
- Where did you hear about us (1 – IU Affiliation, 2 – Physician network, 3 – Friend and Family -connections, 4 – Go Fund Me, 5 – Social Media (Fb, Twitter, Ig).
Use our hashtag #realheroesneedmasks and share about us on social media. We are in this together!
Our Commitment
We are committed to being fully transparent with our process. We also strive to tackle this problem in a holistic manner, making sure that masks are distributed fairly.
We will be sharing photos & videos of healthcare workers receiving the donated equipment, so you can see the impact of your donation on the local communities. Please follow us at
Website: realheroesneedmasks.com
Twitter: @RealHeroesMasks
Instagram: @RealHeroesNeedMasks
Facebook: @Real Heroes Need Masks
Hashtag: #RealHeroesNeedMasks
For any other inquiries: [email redacted].
Our Team
Dr. Amani Jambhekar: Founder and Chief Executive Officer. Dr. Jambhekar is a surgical oncologist in Houston, Texas. She is in her final term of obtaining her MBA from the Kelley School of Business.
Dr. Mona Stone: Chief Marketing Officer. Dr. Stone is an oral maxillofacial surgeon in Dallas, Texas.
Logan Wilhelm: Chief Research Officer. He is an 8-year military veteran and is currently in his last year of obtaining his MBA through the Kelley School of Business.
Jun Yang: Chief Operations Officier. She is an Associate Professor of Finance at IU Kelley School of Business. She has expertise in FinTech and corporate governance, as well as direct relationships with reliable mask suppliers.
Dr. Nath Chongsuwat: Outreach Coordinator. He is an internal medicine physician in Chicago, Illinois.
Larecha Wynn: Chief of Staff. She is a finance systems implementation specialist in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Ha Diep-Nguyen: Campaign Manager. She is an Assistant Professor of Finance at Purdue University and an IU graduate.
AJ Raymond: Web Developer. He is a developer and a freelance worker in Bloomington, IN
Wei Wang: Campaign Coordinator. He is a doctoral student in finance at Kelley School of Business, Indiana University.
Vy Mai: Twitter Producer. She is a senior at Juniata College studying Human Development and Health Communication and will be graduating in May.
Samantha Hong: Twitter Producer. She is a rising senior at Juniata College, studying a mixture of Biology and Sociology. She is hoping to pursue a career in Public Health and Health Advocacy.
Nicole Zhao: Facebook Producer. She is an undergraduate senior at Stony Brook University in New York. She will obtain her BS in interdisciplinary biology in May 2020.
Elika Moallem: Instagram Producer. She is an undergraduate senior at William Paterson University studying Biology.
For more details on all our members, please visit here https://www.realheroesneedmasks.com/team
FAQ
How will the funds be used?
100% of the funds will go directly to facilitating the purchase and delivery of masks. Our entire team is donating their time and have foregone compensation for their work. No one on the Real Heroes Need Masks team is compensated or benefiting financially in any way from this campaign.
I’ve seen other charity efforts related to COVID-19. How is this one different?
Unlike other charities, your donation with our campaign will go directly to support the acquisition of masks from FDA-verified manufacturers for the underserved communities in need. We are also related directly to the supply of PPE from certified factories because we believe that is the best way to ensure counterfeit products aren’t being donated to hospital workers.
What have you accomplished so far?
(1) We've identified and successfully distributed mask donations from FDA approved factories who can produce surgical masks. We’ve also identified supply partners who can source other PPE items, including FDA-cleared N95 masks as well as NOISH-approved N95 and equivalent KN95 masks.
(2) We have established a network of connections to local communities. Our state and city volunteer coordinators are in contact with other frontline healthcare professionals at every hospital in their area to understand their immediate needs.
(3) We have already begun distributing surgical masks and plan on working with supply partners to scale those purchases in the coming weeks. We have already donated 21,600 masks to 32 individual hospitals and clinics in the states of Louisiana, New York, New Jersey, Georgia, Indiana, Texas, and California. We are constantly putting the money we raise to work.
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.
To read more on what governments are doing: https://www.forbes.com/sites/mattperez/2020/03/19/president-trump-on-supplying-governors-were-not-a-shipping-clerk/#1e7875581af5
To read more about the mask feeding frenzy: https://www.forbes.com/sites/daviddisalvo/2020/03/30/i-spent-a-day-in-the-coronavirus-driven-feeding-frenzy-of-n95-mask-sellers-and-buyers-and-this-is-what-i-learned/
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. This is subject to change, and we will be sure to update donors promptly.
I am a healthcare professional at a hospital that is currently treating COVID-19 patients. We are short on masks. How do we request masks?
We do not take direct requests for masks on our website because we have many partner organizations that already do a fantastic job taking individual hospital requests. Please visit our website to see a list of our partners. Our goal is to ship masks to our city coordinators and have the coordinators distribute throughout the city to make sure masks are delivered to hospitals that do not have the time or resources to get online and ask.
Aside from donations, how can we help?
1. If you have masks to donate and want to be connected to those in need, you can fill out this form: www.realheroesneedmasks.com/donatemasks
2. We are actively recruiting! If you have public relations or nonprofit experience, we can use your expertise! Please email us at [email redacted].
3. Finally, use our hashtag #realheroesneedmasks and share about us on social media. Also leave a comment for us to get to know you. Your comments will encourage others to act for the cause. Share with us
- Where you’re from
- Where did you hear about us (1 – IU Affiliation, 2 – Physician network, 3 – Friend and Family connections, 4 – Go Fund Me, 5 – Social Media (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram). We are in this together!
Read about us in the news:
Inside Indiana Business: https://www.wishtv.com/news/inside-indiana-business/national-campaign-donates-masks-to-hoosier-hospitals/#
Kelley School of Business: https://blog.kelley.iu.edu/2020/04/14/faculty-at-kelley-offer-their-innovative-and-entrepreneurial-expertise-to-fighting-covid-19
Our Story
We formed out of a weekend accelerator 10 days ago on March 20, 2020, with faculty, students and professionals affiliated with the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University. Our co-founders Dr. Amani Jambhekar and Dr. Mona Stone are surgeons who wanted to find a way to give back to communities in need.
Healthcare professionals are being asked to reuse and conserve PPE although this increases their risk of contracting COVID-19 or infecting their families. More than 9000 medical workers have been infected with COVID-19 while caring for us. Over 200 healthcare professionals have lost their lives worldwide due to inadequate protection. (https://n.pr/2yO8h55)
The situation is even direr for smaller facilities in hard-hit areas that do not have the resources or media presence to ask the public for donations. As a solution to this supply gap, our model is to leverage our network to source surgical masks from certified factories and deliver them directly to the communities with the most urgent need.
It is our responsibility to protect our doctors, our heroes, by providing them with PPE. We started this fundraising campaign to help fund the operation and are pledging 100% of our GoFundMe donations to purchase and deliver masks.
Why our team?
We are a team of physicians, professors, professionals and students across different fields. Our unique diversity in backgrounds and skill sets enables us to:
· Focus on targeted distribution. We have a network of volunteer physician coordinators who help connect us to hospitals and facilities with the most urgent need in their local areas.
· Secure reliable supply sources. With the help of Indiana University students, we have developed direct and reliable relationships with FDA-verified manufacturers to source our masks. Because of the global shortage of masks & PPE, donating to an academic social venture is the best way to ensure counterfeit products aren’t being donated to hospital workers.
· Accomplish what we promise. We have been able to donate 21,600 masks to 32 hospitals and clinics in the states of Louisiana, New York, New Jersey, Georgia, Indiana, Texas, and California. For more details, please see here: https://www.realheroesneedmasks.com/donate
Our Campaign Goal
Our goal going forward is to acquire, distribute, and deliver FIFTY THOUSAND (50,000) surgical masks to those most in need! We anticipate the cost of surgical masks to continue rising in the foreseeable future and budget on average $0.6/mask. Your donations will go a long way.
If we surpass our goal, we will keep acquiring additional PPE for frontline healthcare workers until every last penny is spent.
Join us today to help protect our medical workers! Please leave a comment for us to get to know you. Your comments will encourage others to act for the cause. Share with us
- Where you’re from
- Where did you hear about us (1 – IU Affiliation, 2 – Physician network, 3 – Friend and Family -connections, 4 – Go Fund Me, 5 – Social Media (Fb, Twitter, Ig).
Use our hashtag #realheroesneedmasks and share about us on social media. We are in this together!
Our Commitment
We are committed to being fully transparent with our process. We also strive to tackle this problem in a holistic manner, making sure that masks are distributed fairly.
We will be sharing photos & videos of healthcare workers receiving the donated equipment, so you can see the impact of your donation on the local communities. Please follow us at
Website: realheroesneedmasks.com
Twitter: @RealHeroesMasks
Instagram: @RealHeroesNeedMasks
Facebook: @Real Heroes Need Masks
Hashtag: #RealHeroesNeedMasks
For any other inquiries: [email redacted].
Our Team
Dr. Amani Jambhekar: Founder and Chief Executive Officer. Dr. Jambhekar is a surgical oncologist in Houston, Texas. She is in her final term of obtaining her MBA from the Kelley School of Business.
Dr. Mona Stone: Chief Marketing Officer. Dr. Stone is an oral maxillofacial surgeon in Dallas, Texas.
Logan Wilhelm: Chief Research Officer. He is an 8-year military veteran and is currently in his last year of obtaining his MBA through the Kelley School of Business.
Jun Yang: Chief Operations Officier. She is an Associate Professor of Finance at IU Kelley School of Business. She has expertise in FinTech and corporate governance, as well as direct relationships with reliable mask suppliers.
Dr. Nath Chongsuwat: Outreach Coordinator. He is an internal medicine physician in Chicago, Illinois.
Larecha Wynn: Chief of Staff. She is a finance systems implementation specialist in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Ha Diep-Nguyen: Campaign Manager. She is an Assistant Professor of Finance at Purdue University and an IU graduate.
AJ Raymond: Web Developer. He is a developer and a freelance worker in Bloomington, IN
Wei Wang: Campaign Coordinator. He is a doctoral student in finance at Kelley School of Business, Indiana University.
Vy Mai: Twitter Producer. She is a senior at Juniata College studying Human Development and Health Communication and will be graduating in May.
Samantha Hong: Twitter Producer. She is a rising senior at Juniata College, studying a mixture of Biology and Sociology. She is hoping to pursue a career in Public Health and Health Advocacy.
Nicole Zhao: Facebook Producer. She is an undergraduate senior at Stony Brook University in New York. She will obtain her BS in interdisciplinary biology in May 2020.
Elika Moallem: Instagram Producer. She is an undergraduate senior at William Paterson University studying Biology.
For more details on all our members, please visit here https://www.realheroesneedmasks.com/team
FAQ
How will the funds be used?
100% of the funds will go directly to facilitating the purchase and delivery of masks. Our entire team is donating their time and have foregone compensation for their work. No one on the Real Heroes Need Masks team is compensated or benefiting financially in any way from this campaign.
I’ve seen other charity efforts related to COVID-19. How is this one different?
Unlike other charities, your donation with our campaign will go directly to support the acquisition of masks from FDA-verified manufacturers for the underserved communities in need. We are also related directly to the supply of PPE from certified factories because we believe that is the best way to ensure counterfeit products aren’t being donated to hospital workers.
What have you accomplished so far?
(1) We've identified and successfully distributed mask donations from FDA approved factories who can produce surgical masks. We’ve also identified supply partners who can source other PPE items, including FDA-cleared N95 masks as well as NOISH-approved N95 and equivalent KN95 masks.
(2) We have established a network of connections to local communities. Our state and city volunteer coordinators are in contact with other frontline healthcare professionals at every hospital in their area to understand their immediate needs.
(3) We have already begun distributing surgical masks and plan on working with supply partners to scale those purchases in the coming weeks. We have already donated 21,600 masks to 32 individual hospitals and clinics in the states of Louisiana, New York, New Jersey, Georgia, Indiana, Texas, and California. We are constantly putting the money we raise to work.
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.
To read more on what governments are doing: https://www.forbes.com/sites/mattperez/2020/03/19/president-trump-on-supplying-governors-were-not-a-shipping-clerk/#1e7875581af5
To read more about the mask feeding frenzy: https://www.forbes.com/sites/daviddisalvo/2020/03/30/i-spent-a-day-in-the-coronavirus-driven-feeding-frenzy-of-n95-mask-sellers-and-buyers-and-this-is-what-i-learned/
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. This is subject to change, and we will be sure to update donors promptly.
I am a healthcare professional at a hospital that is currently treating COVID-19 patients. We are short on masks. How do we request masks?
We do not take direct requests for masks on our website because we have many partner organizations that already do a fantastic job taking individual hospital requests. Please visit our website to see a list of our partners. Our goal is to ship masks to our city coordinators and have the coordinators distribute throughout the city to make sure masks are delivered to hospitals that do not have the time or resources to get online and ask.
Aside from donations, how can we help?
1. If you have masks to donate and want to be connected to those in need, you can fill out this form: www.realheroesneedmasks.com/donatemasks
2. We are actively recruiting! If you have public relations or nonprofit experience, we can use your expertise! Please email us at [email redacted].
3. Finally, use our hashtag #realheroesneedmasks and share about us on social media. Also leave a comment for us to get to know you. Your comments will encourage others to act for the cause. Share with us
- Where you’re from
- Where did you hear about us (1 – IU Affiliation, 2 – Physician network, 3 – Friend and Family connections, 4 – Go Fund Me, 5 – Social Media (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram). We are in this together!
Organizer and beneficiary
Real Heroes Need Masks Org.
Organizer
Bloomington, IN
Realheroesneedmasks Realheroes
Beneficiary
