In conjunction with our initial #MasksinEveryCommunity initiative, we are running another campaign with the specific goal of raising money to provide masks to children in Ontario’s northern, remote and Indigenous communities.
The Issue
With the full restart of school in September for elementary and middle school children, and the cohort system in place for secondary students, there’s an urgent need to ensure students are ready to re-enter the classroom. The demand for Personal Protective Equipment is especially acute in northern, remote and Indigenous Ontario, where multigenerational and overcrowded housing are common and there is a
higher incidence of underlying health conditions. In these areas, COVID-19 could spread rapidly if carried from schools to homes. For Indigenous children, many of whom travel outside their communities for classes, the risk of exposure is heightened. Ontario’s Ministry of Education is requiring students in Grades 4 through 12 to wear masks, but cloth masks are not a solution for communities without access to clean water for regular washings. These chronically underfunded regions will be at a higher risk for becoming the new hotspots.
The Initiative
Wintergreen Learning Materials is supporting VIO Volunteers’ mission to equip kids in northern, remote and Indigenous Ontario with PPE by launching a GoFundMe campaign to raise $3,000. This is enough to
supply nine northern Ontario communities with masks for the entire school year. We are appealing to our fellow Canadians for help in achieving our ambitious goal. For nearly every dollar raised, we can provide a mask to a child in need. We recognize times are tough, that’s why we’re asking people to consider giving just $5 or $10 between August 19 and September 27,
2020.