While our hospitals are finally able to get the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) they need, many others are still in great need of PPE and you can help!
Sign up to get your free assembly kit at SOSforPPE.org and in an hour you can make 20 faceshields or facemasks and maybe save a life! Various ability levels welcome, suitable for anyone ages 5 and up.
No experience or special equipment needed!
Loveland, Ohio – Evan Osgood, a Loveland High School student, has created a non-profit organization to get help and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to those who need it the most.
Osgood said, “Back in March when I heard about the dire need for PPE on the news, I asked myself, ‘What can I do to help?’ We have all these people sheltering in place looking for something to do and this tremendous need for PPE. How can we combine these two things to make a difference…and SOS for PPE was born!”
Osgood created a team of founding members and the PPE Network keeps growing exponentially. Founding Members include Carissa Aiello, Molly Alexander, Will Gerstemeier, Aidan Hook, Nate Matuszak, Caleb Nelson, Hayes Santa, Tyler Vrh, and Tristan Vrh. Board Members include Jack Alexander, Lisa Brockmeyer, and Gwen Vrh.
“A great thank you goes out to some of our major contributors and over-the-top makers of all ages,” said Osgood. He named ioby.org, National COVID-19 Community Response and Recovery Match Fund, the Mueller Family, the Kavouras Family, Julie Koch, Luis Garcia Saucedo, the Crouse Family, the Batterson Family. He said there are many more who have helped.
“It really hit home how important our efforts are when I made one of our deliveries,” said Osgood. It was for a couple of senior citizens in their 70’s who live in Loveland. “I placed the bagged and sanitized masks on the front porch, rang the bell, and stepped back to the car as usual.” The woman answered the door, looked down, and burst into tears she was so appreciative of the masks.
It turns out she and her husband had been stuck inside for three weeks and didn’t feel safe even going to the grocery store. Osgood offered to deliver her some groceries and she politely declined, saying now that they had some masks, they would go during the designated shopping time for senior citizens. Osgood said that she couldn’t have been more thankful and appreciative, calling out, “Bless you and bless what you are doing for this community.”
“Whenever I start to get overwhelmed with trying to make a dent in the need for PPE, I just take a step back and remember her. Even one mask can make a huge difference for someone,” said Osgood.
“We have story after story of people who hear about us from a friend or see us on the news, go online, and sign up to receive or make PPE. There was a woman who worked at a nursing home and their staff was getting ear blisters from the elastic of the masks rubbing all day. We sent them EARests for their whole staff and it’s made a really tough job just a little bit easier.”
Osgood said that so far, SOSforPPE has supplied over 40,000 pieces of PPE to frontline caregivers, hospitals, co-workers, seniors, and neighbors. “There is still a great need and you can be part of the solution.”
If you will volunteer an hour of your time you can get a free assembly kit to make them from the comfort of your home.
Mom Lisa Osgood said, “The Veterans Administration Medical Centers and our senior living communities are still in great need of PPE. Even though hospitals can, for the most part, get what they need, The VA and senior facilities are asking for help.”
“If everyone reading this signs up to make even one kit, we can answer the SOS for PPE from the VA and our seniors and help save lives,” said Evan.
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