A teen-run organization in San Francisco is making free face masks for those who need it as coronavirus cases continue to rise.
Back in March, Lowell High School was one of the first schools in the nation to close due to the COVID-19 outbreak. During that time, senior Michelle Song noticed her community lacked personal protective equipment.
“This was during a time when they weren’t easily accessible, so we decided that we wanted to create handmade facial coverings and distribute them to the people that needed them the most,” said Song, co-founder of Masks For All.
Photo Credit: Michelle Song
Each Sunday, Song and her group hands out masks to those living in underserved communities. A new location is selected each week in San Francisco.
They also make shipments across the state.
“To hospitals, to homeless centers, we really try to get a nice varied culmination of needs so that we’re able to service the most people possible,” she said.
Masks For All has been able to distribute more than 5,000 masks nationally since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, but now their efforts have shifted. Song told KCBS Radio it’s no longer about the need to access masks.
They’re focused on educating the public about the importance of wearing one.
“We’ve been able to show photos and advocate online for the wearing of masks,” she said. “As we see the slow transition of people being able to access masks, we play less of the role of the distributor, but now we’re also an educator.”
Photo Credit: Michelle Song
Teenagers like Song have been stepping up to take action during this time, whether it be during the COVID-19 pandemic or the Black Lives Matter movement. She said that just goes to show even though we have to stand six feet apart, we’re actually closer than ever before.
“We see the role of young people in our society and how we have all of the necessary abilities and the wants to make the change that we want to see,” Song said.
Article Credit: kcbsradio.radio