UPS Supporting NYC Healthcare Workers, First Responders & Community Organizations Amid Coronavirus

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UPS today announced several New York City community support efforts, including the donation of 5,000 masks to a health center in Red Hook; deliveries of hand sanitizer and other supplies to NYPD; transportation of food for Henry Street Settlement and Vision Urbana, which provide meals for hungry families on the Lower East Side of Manhattan; a partnership to transport more than 1 million square yards of fabric to NYC to be made into hospital gowns; and UPS Foundation funding to the United Way of New York City.

The company delivered 5,000 masks to the Joseph P. Addabbo Family Health Center Wednesday morning. UPS has procured a sufficient supply to meet its own internal needs and is now sharing its available masks to support communities across the country.

"I would like to like thank UPS for their generous donation of 5,000 N95 masks to the Joseph P. Addabbo Family Health Center in Red Hook,” said New York State Assembly Assistant Speaker Félix W. Ortiz. “The health center provides critical care to low-income individuals, and this donation of personal protective equipment will allow the staff to safely continue to care for those who need it most. In the worst of times, New Yorkers prove again and again that they are there for each other."

“The Joseph P Addabbo Family Health Center, like other federal qualified health centers, has experienced critical revenue losses due to the coronavirus pandemic. These losses have severely hampered our ability to provide fundamental supplies to our medical staff,” said Dr. Miriam Vega, the Center’s CEO. “This infusion of 5,000 N95 masks will allow our dedicated staff the ability to work in a healthy and safe environment.”

“This donation is twofold,” Dr. Vega continued. “Not only does it allow our medical staff to breathe a collective sigh of relief, it also allows me to direct our limited resources to other much needed areas. I look forward to many more successful collaborations with UPS and Assistant Speaker Ortiz.”

Also on Wednesday, the company delivered a shipment of hand sanitizer and face masks to the NYPD Highway Patrol. This is the fourth delivery of coronavirus-related supplies UPS has made to various departments of the NYPD this month, with all deliveries now totaling more than 352 drums of hand sanitizer made by Pernod Ricard and 500 face masks.

Additionally, the company is working with its 50-year Community Internship Program partner Henry Street Settlement, which is joining the efforts of the Lower East Side organization Vision Urbana in support of New Yorkers on the Lower East Side of Manhattan who are experiencing food insecurity. Every Monday, Food Bank of NYC delivers near Seward Park. Then, UPS moves approximately 4,000 pounds of the food to Henry Street’s Boys & Girls Republic community center, where UPS workers and the Settlement’s volunteers unload the food. Henry Street then delivers the food throughout the week to families in need.

"UPS's profound commitment to Henry Street Settlement has long benefited both our organization and the people we serve on New York's Lower East Side," said David Garza, the organization’s president and CEO. "It came as no surprise to us when the company came through in a big way at a time when we need it most--helping to feed a population that had already struggled to put food on the table and is now coping with the dire economic realities of the COVID-19 crisis. The company's donation of trucks, personnel, and a spirit of collaboration will have a direct and positive effect on the health and wellbeing of our neighbors who struggle to have enough to eat."

“With 7,500 UPSers in New York City, we are committed to serving its many and diverse communities in any way we can,” said Brian Cannon, President of the UPS North Atlantic District, which encompasses NYC. “We are grateful for the opportunity to give back to a place that so many of our people call home.”

On Thursday, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio announced a public-private partnership with the White House, the New York City Economic Development Corporation (EDC), and Owens & Minor (OW), a healthcare logistics company, to provide New York City with one million square yards of American-made medical gown fabric. UPS will ship the fabric from Owens & Minor’s Lexington, North Carolina facility to local manufacturers across NYC. This supply will allow local New York City manufacturers to produce up to 400,000 hospital gowns for frontline health care workers.

“Our healthcare workers are heroes on the front line – we must use every tool we’ve got to ensure their safety,” said Mayor de Blasio. “That means relying on New Yorkers’ resilience, ingenuity, and manufacturing prowess to create a self-sufficient supply of the resources they need to get through this crisis.”

The UPS Foundation has announced $15 million in funding for non-profit organizations providing immediate and long-term community support, including the United Way of New York City. The United Way of NYC supports a broad network of more than 600 community-based partners and provides resources to agencies and community-based organizations that work with individuals disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.

“From first responders and healthcare workers to food pantries and other community organizations, UPS is truly supporting NYC’s finest,” said Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez (D-NY-7). “I am grateful to everyone who is working to ensure those on the front lines of this crisis have everything they need to do their jobs as safely and effectively as possible.”
 
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