The Coalition Mask Network
The Coalition Mask Network
The Coalition Mask Network is a collaborative group of individuals and teams who are working to make and distribute as many masks as possible to those with the greatest need. We first focused on helping support hospitals and clinics. We have expanded our efforts to help community members, elders and staff in nursing homes and assisted living facilities, disabled people living in group home settings, people without homes, and survivors of domestic violence. There are many urgent needs, and sewists are working morning, noon, and night to keep up with requests.
What is special about our network is that each sewist and each team may decide how they want to direct their efforts. When we work on a specific large request together, it is a great feeling to accomplish a shared goal. For example, on Thursday we set a goal of providing 500 masks to help Lynn Community Health Services. With help from several teams and many people, we reached 478 before the deadline. It is very exciting when we can all work together!
3D PPE Supplies By Desais
3D PPE Supplies By Desais
We are building 3D printed face shields for frontline workers. These shields are to be used in conjunction with face masks. Protects the eyes and rest of the face. These face shields are in a great shortage and supplies are hard to come by.
I have been a 3D printer buff for a long time, 3d printing small fixes and improvements around the house. So, when I saw on the internet, that 3d printer can help the frontline workers, I jumped on it. Looking at the shortage of PPE, it is very important for our frontline workers and their families to remain safe. So, it took me a few hours to figure out how I can help efficiently and quickly. I printed 20 of these shields over the weekend and asked on Facebook to donate them. Not surprising, several people and hospitals reached out requesting them. I had to increase production and go from 1 3d printer to 3 to meet the demands. So far, we have donated 300 shields and plenty more to make. We have donated to individual workers who work at nursing homes as well as hospitals like Mount Auburn, Lahey Burlington, Beth Israel, Melrose-Wakefield etc. We have also shipped the shields to Danbury Hospital in CT.
Meals To Heal
Meals To Heal
In response to the crisis we are facing our mission is to make the lives of affected families, patients, and their caregivers easier and less stressful by providing them with meals that relieve them of the significant time, energy and worry associated with ensuring proper nutrition for themselves and for their loved ones.
It all started with group of friends discussing how to provide meals to those sick in the community and around the same time an acquaintance in the community falling sick with Covid-19 and needing meal help. We then reached out to close friends to get some help. As the word spread many more in our community joined in.
Currently our group is helping 2 patients and 12 families in Burlington, Wilmington and Newton by providing meals.
Care 4 Janitors
Care 4 Janitors
CARE 4 JANITORS – Food For Fabulous Friends’ is a small effort to show respect, gratitude & appreciation to the housekeeping and environmental services staff of the hospitals and nursing homes. These unsung heroes are working hard to maintain cleanliness and hygiene in the all hospitals. Our goal is to provide them with a hot meal and at the same time help local restaurants to sustain their businesses. To kick start this project, all five of us pooled in money to send meals to Melrose Wakefield hospital about a week ago not knowing how we would sustain ourselves to keep on going. We shared pictures on Facebook expressing our joy which caused a BIG ripple and things started growing organically. It’s been a week since we launched this cause and so far, we have delivered meals to 6 different hospitals and nursing home and fed close to 150
United India Association Of New England
United India Association Of New England
United India Association of New England has set up UIANE COVID-19 Relief Fund. We are committed to help the community in fight against ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. UIANE pledges $5,000 in matching dollars towards donations made in this fund. 100% of the proceeds will be given to local charities to help feed families and support our front-line workers. This is our ongoing effort and we are making donations to local food pantries as well as serving boxed lunches to our health care workers and seniors.
We have also set up the home delivery of essential groceries for our seniors working in collaboration with Shivalaya Temple, since this age group is at higher risk from COVID-19.
PPE Drive For India
PPE Drive For India
While talking to a few doctor friends in India we realized that while the hospitals in the cities were being helped, the help in the rural hospitals was not sufficient. While the government is doing everything it can, the scope of this pandemic is so big that private citizens have to step in to help.
My husband and I decided to supplement the rural hospitals, treating Covid-19 patients with Personal protection equipment – PPE kits.
Medical staffers, doctors, nurses are our frontline soldiers on this war with COVID-19. When the problem is so big, it feels overwhelming to even think of a solution. The fight to save the world, starts with one human at a time.
Sewing Mask A Misson
Sewing Mask A Misson
I am thankful to Shova Sharma, Uma Povathingal, Poonam Varshney, Meenakshi Rathore, Shweta Rawat, Swati Domadia, Priyambada Beura, Neha vig, Rita Mistry, Abhinav Jha for being part of this mission including many more people from Attleboro area. I provide all the fabric and rest of the team is helping with the sewing.
Windham Mask Squad
Windham Mask Squad
” I started this initiative solo and has now become a big effort with help from many families”
We are making stitched fabric masks. The entire town has come together to make masks primarily for the homeless and children’s homes within NH and MA and low-income senior housing in MA. Even supporting medical professionals who are dealing directly with COVID patients, first responders, and also helping families with other illnesses who need protection from one another.
Our masks have a slot so that additional protection can be inserted.
We also started making mask extenders a couple of weeks ago – delivering these to first responders who are having to wear masks for upto 12 hours a day to reduce ear chafing.
Dharma Center Of America
Dharma Center Of America
We, at the Dharma Center of America, are committed to serve more than 2000 people by providing them with the basic necessities of life, that is, healthy and nutritious food. We are helping our community in the neighborhoods of Lowell, Burlington, Boston and Cambridge, MA. To support those affected by the COVID-19 crisis, we are raising funds from the larger Indian community with participation of several organizations (Chinmaya Mission of Boston, Dwarkamai Shri Shirdi Sai Baba Temple North Billerica, Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh USA, Hindi Manch, Indian Circle for Caring USA Inc, Maheshwari Mahasabha of North America, New England Chapter New England Marathi Mandal, Sewa International USA – Boston, Tamil Makkal Mandram , TAGB Boston and The Art of Living).
Food Drive For WCC
Food Drive For WCC
“Hunger is something no one should struggle with or be judged for” – Dawn
We all are affected by this pandemic, some more than others in many different ways. So many of us are blessed that we can feed our family without any struggles. However, many are not as fortunate.
In the past, I have done monetary contributions to many charities and also volunteered for many different organizations. In the last week of March, I read Shefali Desai’s FB post about donating sandwich bags for NH Soup Kitchen. Her post presented an opportunity to contribute beyond monetary contribution. For me giving is not just my duty, it’s a privilege.
Lexington Team
Lexington Team
Realizing the need of the hour, I called for volunteers in local WhatsApp group and closed FB group and was amazed by the response and started a dedicated WhatsApp group on March 24, 2020. Word spread quickly and 70+ empathetic hard-working individuals came together with the spirit of providing PPE to the needy. As a coordinator, I was overwhelmed at this outpouring of time, effort, skills, resources and love for the community.
We have a team of seamstress making masks with filter pocket. While young boys and girls made crochet bands, 3D printed mask securers, shields and personalized creative hand-made thank you cards.
3D Printed PPE
3D Printed PPE
One day last month I got a call from my cousin sister in NY who is working in the front lines and she told him that that they were not providing masks. I tried to acquire N95 masks but in vain. That’s when I found a hack to make them using 3M Air Filters. I cut these filters and provide as inserts to people who are stitching cloth masks. I shipped some to my cousin in NY who was infected with Covid-19 and has now thankfully recovered!
I wanted to help the front-line healthcare professionals in any possible way. As of now I am 3D printing Mask Ear Savers, Mask Buttons, Masks with Filters and Face Shields.