How did we do it?
The people at the highest risk of being impacted by COVID-19 are also the least able to afford quality high-filtration masks for themselves and their families. That's why Project N95 focused on distributing masks for free to communities in need.
Why high-filtration masks?
Now that the vast majority of Americans have stopped wearing masks, public spaces are less protected against COVID and other respiratory illnesses, so vulnerable people and others need a way to keep themselves safe. In addition to vaccines, high-quality respiratory protection helps reduce the chances of serious illness.
This is especially critical for those at high risk of complications, such as the immunocompromised or people who aren't eligible for vaccinations. Thanks you—our loyal customers and generous donors—and our many other partners, we were able to bring that protection to the general public in the form of NIOSH-approved N95 respirators and other high-quality filtering face masks, such as KF94 and KN95 masks.
Why free masks?
Social epidemiologists have long known that disease distribution is patterned by disadvantage, and COVID data have documented that the poorest Americans are more likely to become ill and die if they are infected. The poorest Americans are most likely to be working in person and in crowded conditions or living in multigenerational households, which puts them at a higher risk of exposure. Furthermore, they are more likely to have multiple comorbidities due to structural factors in access to healthcare, leading to worse outcomes.
Providing free masks—a valuable component in the fight against COVID—helps protect the most vulnerable people. Project N95 was dedicated to helping those in need get the protection they deserve.
Why is this important?
Free, easily accessible high-filtration masks are critical to ensuring that COVID-related health inequities do not widen.
A study from NYC Health showed that racial inequities in COVID infections increased during the Omicron surge. The people at the greatest risk are also the people most in need of help. This is why Project N95 worked so hard to get free masks to people in need.
How did we identify communities?
Project N95 built strong partnerships with community organizations, mask blocs, schools, health clinics, and others who work directly with people and families receiving our donated masks to ensure the greatest impact for those most in need. We also built an extensive donation program for individuals who wanted high-filtration masks but were unable to afford them—more than 6,800 recipients accepted over 45,000 masks through this initiative alone.
We didn't work alone. Thank you to our community, manufacturing, association, and technology partners for helping to make this happen—you saved lives!
Whom did we help?
Medical Workers
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141,280 N95 respirators from ACI to the UC Davis Center for Health and the Environment.
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A six-month supply of N95 respirators for the clinical team at Harlem United, in partnership with GORUCK.
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More than 96,000 units of quality-certified PPE delivered through a partnership with the AMA Foundation to support the foundation’s Community Health Program partner organizations.
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50,000 patient examination gloves to the Louisiana Primary Care Association along with 50,000 gloves to Florida Community Health Centers.
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240,000 masks and 100 portable ventilators for rural hospital workers in India via our collaboration with Direct Relief, Brown University India Fund, and the National India Hub.
Communities
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1,000,000 high-filtration masks in partnership with The FXB Center through our Masks for Communities Coalition.
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75,000 N95 respirators for the Monterey Bay Air Resources District.
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Collaborated with Baker Ripley and several local nonprofits to provide 34,000 KN95 masks to seniors in the Houston, TX, area.
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Coordinated delivery of 1,000 N95 respirators to Covenant House Texas (CHT), which provides an extensive continuum of care model for homeless youth.
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Sent over 150,000 surgical and KN95 masks to Dallas/Fort Worth, El Paso, and Rio Grande Valley in collaboration with community organizations for distribution in Black, Latinx, and Asian communities.
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43,200 masks to Pope Francis Center in Detroit, along with 6,000 KN95 masks to homeless shelters in Austin, TX, and New Orleans, LA.
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More than 450,000 surgical masks to Native American communities throughout the U.S.
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200,000 surgical masks in collaboration with the American Medical Association (AMA) to organizations that support the Black and LatinX communities in Chicago and New Mexico, including Erie Neighborhood House, La Casa Norte, Mujeres Latinas en Acción, Howard Brown Health Center and West Side United.
Schools
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More than 300 DIY indoor air purifiers for classrooms in Chicago, New Jersey, Lexington, and San Francisco.
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22,000 KF94 Masks to support children in Arizona schools.
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90,000 masks to children’s programs in the state of Washington, including preschools and camps, in collaboration with Restart.
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13,500 surgical masks for the Back to School Community BBQ & Vaccine Pop-Up event hosted by The Church of God of East NY, partnering with Stop the Spread, C19 Coalition, Greater NYC Black Nurses Association and the Community Healthcare Network.
