Nonprofits team up to form protective equipment bank

As the coronavirus pandemic cleared the one-year mark, anecdotes about personal protective equipment (PPE) shortages have been less prevalent, but those shortages are still affecting front-line workers and other essential workers. That’s why the Georgia Center for Nonprofits partnered with Friends of Disabled Adults and Children, MedShare and Atlanta ToolBank to establish a PPE bank for nonprofits to fill those organizations’ needs for PPE free of charge.

“Having protective equipment — masks, gloves, sanitizer, thermometers — during this crisis is critical to keeping nonprofits open and services flowing,” said Karen Beavor, the president and CEO of the Georgia Center for Nonprofits. “We decided that, just like a food bank, nonprofits needed a PPE bank to supply nonprofit staff providing these services and to direct resources to missions rather than PPE purchases.”

Companies like Home Depot, UPS, General Auto Parts and others donated PPE supplies, and MedShare, Friends of Disabled Adults and Children and Atlanta ToolBank stored and distributed the donations to community nonprofits through

out the state.

“In the depth of the pan- demic, nonprofits and health- care were experiencing an intense shortage and this impacted the safety of staff and overall availability of ser- vices,” Beavor said. “Now, so many nonprofits simply struggle to afford PPE and it is still critical …”

The PPE bank has supplied PPE to nonprofits such as free health centers, food

banks, homeless shelters, elder care, disability facili- ties and some schools across Georgia.

If you are involved in or know of an organization working to bring relief during the coronavirus pandemic or you are with an organization with supplies that you don’t know where to donate, please email us at Shannon.n.Dominy@ gmail.com.