Charity donates gloves to Franciscan Health
Bridgeview-based Zakat Foundation aids Olympia Fields hospital
The Bridgeview-based Zakat Foundation last week donated thousands of pairs of much needed medical gloves to Franciscan Health Hospital in Olympia Fields and hospitals on the South Side.
“We have a shortage of (personal protective equipment, just like every other hospital,” said Yvonne McCauley, internal medicine program coordinator for Franciscan Health.
She said she’s been working from home reaching out to whomever might have any medical gloves, n95 masks, gowns or face shields.
McCauley said she’s called everyone she can think of, including pharmacy representatives and tattoo parlors.
“My people are on the front line and I’m very worried about them,” she said.
The equipment helps protect health care workers from infectious diseases. There has been a national shortage due to the coronavirus pandemic.
McCauley said she went to pick up the gloves from the Zakat Foundation thinking it might be just a small case.
But there were 4,000 pairs.
“It was amazing,” she said. “Out of something bad something good comes out of it. I’m seeing people come together. It gives me hope. … Everybody’s doing the best they can.”
McCauley said larger hospitals, such as Northwestern, Loyola and Stroger tend to receive the most assistance and donations, but smaller hospitals in the south suburbs and South Side tend to be overlooked.
“I think we’re kind of forgotten a little bit,” she said.
They weren’t forgotten by the Zakat Foundation which is donating 100,000 gloves to hospitals in low-income neighborhoods on the South Side, including New Roseland Community Hospital, St. Bernard Hospital as well as clinics and nursing homes.
“Our goal was the smaller community hospitals that are often overlooked,” said Donna Neil- Demir, a registered nurse and health adviser for the foundation. “We recognize everybody needs it, but we are a nonprofit that stands for the poverty-stricken globally and for social justice.”
She had called around and found the institutions that really needed the donations.
The foundation was established about 20 years ago and derives its name “Zakat” from the third pillar of Islam, which is an obligatory claim on the wealth of the affluent to empower the indigent.
“We believe in humanity above all else,” said Abbas Haleem, marketing and public relations coordinator for the foundation. “When people are affected by natural disaster, man-made disaster and now pandemics we jump in to help however we can because that’s our purpose. If we can alleviate suffering for the poor and needy we will do so.”
He said more donations are coming, including of food packages and hygiene kits.
“We don’t just distribute and walk away. We make sure people receive immediate and long-term assistance,” Haleem said.
He said the foundation has many strategic partners that can help in emergency relief situation.
He said the gloves came from a wholesale partner who has helped the foundation in the past.
The foundation also is offering financial support to students on an F1 visa are having financial hardship due to the pandemic. Haleem said people can email covid19@zakat.org to apply.