Despite modern-day personal protective equipment (PPE) being produced and distributed in mass quantities for decades, COVID-19 created an unforeseen shortage that impacted communities everywhere—why?
Simply put, existing PPE supply chains weren’t structured to provide products like general use masks and N95 respirators quickly and much of the pricing didn’t take into consideration the marginalized communities that would desperately need them.
FLTR Inc. was born out of necessity—to provide PPE to everyone at scale. It was clear that access to masks would be problematic during the pandemic, so we asked ourselves, “How can we save as many lives as possible?” To start, we reinvented the supply chain for aggressive efficiency and FLTR quickly became one of the largest global distributors of PPE in a matter of months. Being efficient doesn’t mean cutting corners either—FLTR was founded on the principle that our products must adhere to the highest safety standards. Lastly, we recognized that we couldn’t do it alone. FLTR partnered with generous donors and caring organizations to ensure our efforts would be achievable. This winning combination of quickly distributing products effective against COVID-19 empowered FLTR to not only supply PPE to healthcare workers and the general public, but to give marginalized communities a helping hand as well.
Supporting At-Risk Communities and Organizations
Throughout COVID-19, children, tribal communities, refugees, migrants, and many more have struggled to get masks that are effective and affordable. “Our farm workers, they cannot afford to buy masks that [are] five dollars,” stated Executive Director of the Community Health World Coalition for Migrants and Refugees (CHWCMR), Ileana Ponce. In addition to being too expensive, Ponce found that most of the masks available were poor quality and didn’t seal well around children’s faces.
As a proud partner of the Millions of Masks for Children initiative, FLTR has donated 2.4 million masks and 1 million bottles of hand sanitizer to date, which are currently being distributed to organizations including CHWCMR. In Edmonds, W.A., on a chilly Tuesday, Ponce and her team eagerly awaited their delivery of 54 thousand masks. She underlined the importance of FLTR’s donation stating, “Masks are saving lives in our community.”
More About the Millions of Masks for Children Initiative
It truly takes a village to get millions of masks to those in need and it wouldn’t be possible without the initiative’s cofounders Trang Le and Shachar Zahavi, its partner organizations, and our compassionate donors. It’s clear that many at-risk groups will need more support and FLTR is prepared to donate the next million masks—but we need your help. If you or anyone you know may be interested in joining our list of distinguished donors, please contact us using the form here. We urgently need your support to keep these communities safe.
As the pilot in Washington has been a resounding success, FLTR will continue its commitment to provide masks for the national rollout. During an unprecedented time where PPE supplies seem sparse, FLTR has emerged a leader by not only providing PPE to general consumers and healthcare workers, but to numerous marginalized communities for the foreseeable future. We appreciate your partnership in making this happen.
Millions of Masks for Children in the News
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