(Photo of homemade gowns in action! Ventura County has an amazing group of volunteers creating PPE, including masks, face shields and gowns, as well as community members who’ve donated equipment to keep our frontline workers safe. Those workers want you all to know how much they appreciate your efforts! Information below from Amy Towner, CEO – Health Care Foundation for Ventura County from 4/23)
Dear Brigades,
Our nurses, doctors and staff wanted to thank the brigades for their sewn masks so I have been collecting video. I put out a call on Facebook and asked if someone would make them into a video and my friend Hugo Zamora Camilha Contreras put this together as a donation to show the circle of love of our community.
The Ventura County Area Agency on Aging (VCAAA) also sent a video to thank you for your efforts.
In the first three weeks of this virus they delivered over 100,000 meals to the elderly in our community. Your masks went to the essential workers that kept them safe as the prepared, packaged, and delivered meals to this vulnerable population who are home bound. Overall, you are helping them help themself, those they serve and those around them.
Again, I wanted to reiterate that there was unanimous agreement from Health Care Agency Leadership to continue sewing and assembling gowns if possible. You health and wellness comes first but if you can, please do!
- Do you want to help make gowns? Go here.
- Do you want to make masks for Ventura County’s essential workers? Go here.
- Volunteer opportunities in Ventura County: here.
Please take pictures of sewing, modeling your masks, someone picking up or dropping off finished products and send to hcfvc@ventura.org we want to document our virtual efforts!
| Cumulative Donations as of 4/23/20 8:14 pm | |
| N95 | 8091 |
| Gloves | 4393 |
| Surgical Masks | 6,623 |
| ISO Gowns | 1739 |
| Goggles | 764 |
| Shields | 1821 |
| Sewn Masks | 7787 |
| Swabs | 38 |
| Baby Monitors | 88 |
| Trash Bags | 11,695 |
| Sanitizer | 13 |
| KN95 | 1000 |
| Alternative PPE Gowns | 193 |
| Ear Protectors | 66 |
| Phone Charger | 7 |
On another note, our Health Care Foundation for Ventura County (HCFVC) board voted to support purchasing iPads for patients to conference with doctors, nurses and family members at home to assist with HIPAA compliant Telehealth/medicine, preserve the valued PPE we have in the hospital, aid in infection control practices and also allow patients to have connection with their family members at home while they are in isolation. These dollars were a 1 to 1 match by a GoFundMe started by our doctors and community. The strength of our county is in the collaborative nature of our people! Stronger together!
Thank you for continuing to sew and create gowns for our community. We appreciate you assisting us as we navigate this virus and its reach.
Best, Amy
Drop off locations for PPE (personal protection equipment)
Homemade gowns and masks: see links above.
Commercially-made products: The Ventura County Office of Emergency Services is accepting donations at three drop-off locations: Assembly member Jacqui Irwin’s offices in Oxnard and Camarillo and the Ventura County Community Foundation in Camarillo. The county is requesting new and unused surgical masks, N-95 masks, procedure masks, isolation gowns, medical goggles, dracon culture swabs and Tyvek suits.
