Statement on Donation of over 60,000 N95 Masks to Community Centers Providing Health and Mental Health Services to Underserved Hispanic Communities

August 5, 2020 “As we continue to see surges of COVID-19 cases in Hispanic communities, we thank the Committee of 100 (C100) for their generous donation of over 60,000 FDA Approved Surgical N95 Respirator Masks to 15 of our member agencies delivering front-line COVID-19 health and mental health services. More than ever we need to support each other,” said Jane L. Delgado, PhD, MS, President and CEO of the National Alliance for Hispanic Health (the Alliance). Rates of COVID-19 are more than 3 times higher for Hispanics than non-Hispanic Whites and the need for personal protective equipment (PPE) is critical for those providing front-line care to affected communities. The need for PPE has been the subject of Senate Finance Committee hearings last week and is a part of the House passed HEROES Act and the HEAL Act being considered in the Senate to address the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

“C100 is proud to provide much-needed PPE to health and mental health community agencies in Hispanic communities and communities of color where people are bearing the brunt of the pandemic,” said Zhengyu Huang, President, C100. “We’re grateful for the Alliance’s partnership to help underserved people and create an allyship between Hispanics and Chinese Americans.” “All our health care workers deserve the PPE they need to continue to deliver care during this pandemic as well as protect their health and that of their colleagues, families, and communities. This donation helps Alliance members meet their mission and helps ensure that no case of COVID-19 is spread simply because a health care worker did not have a protective mask,” concluded Dr. Delgado.