As we brace for a resurgence in COVID-19 cases due to both the state's re-opening and recent activism, there continues to be a severe lack of face coverings available to underserved and at-risk communities in New York. This is where we come in – and where you can help.  <a href="http://www.savethefrontline.org" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">#SavetheFrontline</a> (<a href="https://www.savethefrontline.org/"><a href="https://www.savethefrontline.org/" target="_blank" class="" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">https://www.savethefrontline.org/</a></a>) is a volunteer-led effort formed in response to COVID-19, focused on purchasing, consolidating, and distributing personal protective equipment (PPE) to healthcare workers and face coverings to underserved communities in New York. We have thus far raised $300k+ and have delivered 80,000+ PPE to healthcare institutions in at-risk communities, but are now raising funds to provide face coverings.  As the country undergoes both a global pandemic and latest acts of racial injustice, we must acknowledge that certain groups of New Yorkers are disproportionately affected by this pandemic as the result of several existing social and economic inequities. We have thus made it our mission to provide face coverings to low-income communities of color in zip codes with the highest rates of COVID-19 cases. By specifically targeting institutions such as food banks and homeless shelters in the state and in NYC, we have focused our efforts on our most underserved individuals.  OUR GOAL Purchase 2,000 face coverings for distribution in community centers within NY’s hardest hit zip codes that support New York’s lower-income Black and Latinx communities. If we have enough response, we will purchase and distribute more. HOW WE DO IT <img src="https://d2g8igdw686xgo.cloudfront.net/48691548_1591902992974195_r.jpeg" width="100%" media_type="3" alt="48691548_1591902992974195_r.jpeg" /> We have identified and partnered with face covering manufacturing centers in the United States and abroad. We can leverage our existing distribution system to supply targeted communities within 5-7 calendar days. Our distribution team is completely volunteer run. They use their personal vehicles to decrease the cost of shipping and put 100% of your donations towards protective equipment.  In order to identify our most impacted communities, we carefully monitor data from the NY database and Cuomo’s daily briefings to identify the regions most at risk. We cross-reference this data to identify communities in neighborhoods with <a href="https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/opportunity/pdf/19_poverty_measure_report.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">high percentages of their respective populations living below the poverty threshold</a> . Within these zip codes, we identify and connect with community centers such as food banks and homeless shelters, that will cater to lower-income residents. We will work with our partners at these institutions to distribute protective equipment. While we do distribute across NY state, our focus for this campaign will be the five boroughs of NY. WHY IS PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT STILL NEEDED? Having distributed 80,000 units of protective equipment thus far, our team is in constant communication with a network of existing healthcare and community center recipients, who have expressed severe continued need for their centers’ beneficiaries and for their partners in other affected zip codes. Further, a majority of the face coverings being distributed by the state and city are not cloth face coverings that can be washed and reused. With 14.2% of New Yorkers having <a href="https://labor.ny.gov/stats/pressreleases/pruistat.shtm#:~:text=2)%20Unemployment%20rates%20(seasonally%20adjusted)%3A&amp;text=In%20April%202020%2C%20the%20statewide,from%204.2%25%20to%2014.7%25" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">lost their jobs in the month of April</a> , many are struggling to pay rent and purchase basic necessities including food - these individuals are unlikely to afford a $10 cloth mask on Amazon. We are here to fill this need. Due to the opening of the state and recent protests, a resurgence in cases is expected in the coming months. We want to equip the underserved communities with proper protective gear to decrease the burden of a second COVID-19 wave. By breaking the cycle, we can also help unburden the healthcare system. TEAM The #SavetheFrontline team is a passionate team of volunteers seeking to help those affected most by the current pandemic. Our mission is supported by a team of volunteers and small businesses across New York that recognize the need to strive for equitable access to healthcare during this pandemic. <a href="https://www.savethefrontline.org/volunteer-with-us/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Join us</a> : <a href="https://www.savethefrontline.org/volunteer-with-us/" target="_blank" class="" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">https://www.savethefrontline.org/volunteer-with-us/</a> FOLLOW US Aside from donations, follow and share our posts on social media! Once the face coverings are delivered, we will take photos and post updates on their delivery. <a href="https://www.savethefrontline.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Website</a> : <a href="https://www.savethefrontline.org/" target="_blank" class="" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">https://www.savethefrontline.org/</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/SavetheFrontNY" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Twitter</a> : <a href="https://twitter.com/SavetheFrontNY" target="_blank" class="" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">https://twitter.com/SavetheFrontNY</a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/savethefrontline/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Instagram</a> : <a href="https://www.instagram.com/savethefrontline/" target="_blank" class="" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">https://www.instagram.com/savethefrontline/</a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/savethefrontline/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Facebook</a> : <a href="https://www.facebook.com/savethefrontline/" target="_blank" class="" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">https://www.facebook.com/savethefrontline/</a> <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/savethefrontline/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">LinkedIn</a> : <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/savethefrontline/" target="_blank" class="" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">https://www.linkedin.com/company/savethefrontline/</a> Hashtag: #SavetheFrontline Please direct your inquiries to  - [email redacted] for <a href="http://savethefrontline.org" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">general information</a>  - [email redacted] for <a href="http://savethefontline.org" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">press inquiries</a>  - [email redacted] for <a href="http://savethefrontline.org" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">requesting face coverings</a>  for your community With Gratitude, #SavetheFrontline Team www.savethefrontline.org Donations are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. All contributions are made through our 501(c)(3) financial partner organization, the <a href="https://michaelmagrofoundation.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Michael Magro Foundation</a> . We are a 100% volunteer-run effort; all donations are directed towards purchasing, consolidating, and distributing personal protective equipment (PPE) to healthcare workers and face coverings to at-risk New Yorkers.

Diana Malsky

Anonymous

Stephen Byrd

Pavan Yalla

Alyssa Steinberg

Shawn Fields

Nicholas Cutrone

Rob  Pacella 

Anya Gandy

Sneh Jain

#SavetheFrontline: Masks for NY's underserved

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