Nearly 30,000 Masks and 6,000 Gloves to be Distributed Today

City of Toledo Neighborhoods Department employees will distribute nearly 30,000 disposable masks and nearly 6,000 pairs of gloves today, May 1, to churches, neighborhood organizations, local agencies, and other groups, which will dispense the supplies to the public, and in some cases to staff members working with the public, to help fight the spread of COVID-19.

The cost of the masks and gloves will be reimbursed to the city with Community Development Block Grant Funding, said Monica L. Smith, neighborhood navigator for the city of Toledo.

“There is an urgent need for masks and gloves in our community, and for the organizations that have requested assistance,” Ms. Smith said. “We will be safely distributing these supplies so they can be used to help flatten the curve and fight the spread of COVID-19.”

Toledo Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz thanked all of the organizations working with the city to help fight COVID-19.

“Efforts like this are critically important in this fight,” Mayor Kapszukiewicz said. “We are in this together and I am proud to see
Toledoans collaborating to meet the needs of our community.”

Councilman Larry Sykes, who helped to coordinate the effort, added: “Toledoans are strong and we will meet this challenge. I am happy to see all of these different groups coming together to help, because it is best when we work together to protect those who are most vulnerable. By helping them, we help first responders and the whole city.”

The organizations and groups that will receive the masks and gloves for free distribution are Canaan Manifested Word Church, City of Zion Church, The Mt. Zion Church, Connecting Kids to Meals, First Church, Toledo Community Coalition, Greater Grace Church, Groomed Barbershop, Jerusalem Baptist Church, Junction Coalition, Lucas County Children Services, Lutheran Social Services of Northwestern Ohio, Macedonia Baptist Church, Neighborhood Health Association, New Eureka Baptist Church, New Hope Baptist Church of Toledo, New Prospect Baptist Church, Pathway, Robinson Elementary Community Hub, Southern Missionary Baptist Church, Sunshine Communities, TARTA, Temple of Praise, The Tabernacle, United Community Church, Lucas County Veterans Service Commission, 10 local Stop & Go stores, and 10 local Stop and Shop stores.

The number of masks and gloves each group will receive varies. For example, Lucas County Veterans Service Commission will receive 500 masks that will be distributed to veterans and the public during business hours; Lucas County Children Services will receive 1,000 masks for families helped by the agency, and TARTA will receive 4,800 masks distributed to operators, maintenance employees, and office staff.

Pickup will occur between 12 p.m. and 4 p.m., today at the Liz Pierson Open Air Shelter located in Ottawa Park. The representatives of each organization collecting supplies have been asked to practice social distancing and wear a mask or face covering.

Any media members wishing to attend are also asked to practice social distancing and wear a mask or face covering.

The city of Toledo has compiled a list of services affected by COVID-19, and available resources, which can be found at this link: https://toledo.oh.gov/news/2020/08/19/update-from-the-city-of-toledo-mayor.

For more information on COVID-19, please visit www.LucasCountyHealth.com. The Lucas County Community COVID-19 call linenumbers are 419-251-4000 (English only) and 419-291-5355 (multilingual). The public is asked to refrain from calling 911 unless it is a true emergency. Call 419-213-4161, press 4, and leave a message to report COVID-19 related matters. The Ohio Department of Health COVID-19 website is www.Coronavirus.Ohio.Gov and the Ohio Department of Health hotline is 1-833-4-ASK-ODH (1-833-427-5634).