LI Mom's Masks For Heroes Has Global Impact In Coronavirus Fight

LONG ISLAND, NY — Four mothers, including one from Long Island, teamed up to launch Masks For Heroes, an organization attempting to ensure health care workers on the front lines of the new coronavirus pandemic get the protection they need. The outreach program, started in March, has expanded across the world. Everyone is encouraged to pitch in.

The organization was founded by Erin Cohen, of Melville, New York; Michelle Dempsey-Multack, a Rockville Centre native living in Miami, Florida; Becky Vieira, of San Francisco, California; and Stefanie Christopher, of Tucson, Arizona. The latter trio, referring to themselves as mommy bloggers, launched the project after they realized health care workers needed more personal protective equipment while dealing with the COVID-19 virus; Cohen owns her own public relations company, SchiffCo PR. The charity only accepts equipment and not money.

"It feels good right now to be helping healthcare workers and trying to make their lives easier," Cohen told Patch. "One of my best friends, also from Long Island, told me she has been reusing her mask for two weeks, and through Masks For Heroes, we are able to send her and her colleagues handmade masks. They are so thankful for the supplies, and cannot believe they are getting them for free, when really, we are the ones who are thankful for them."

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Volunteers looking to donate masks will be paired with a medical center in serious need of protective equipment, according to the organization. Those interested are asked to visit the Masks For Heroes website and click on a spot on the map near them. They'll then be given the contact information of someone within the organization who will coordinate donations. The website includes a video tutorial on sewing masks and written instructions.

A form for health care professionals and first responders to request items is also featured on the site. As of Thursday, requests are public and will be shared on the organization's website. However, private requests are planned to be rolled out eventually. The request form includes N95 masks, surgical masks, sewn masks, disposable gowns, face shields, hand sanitizer, latex gloves and other equipment.

The women, relying on the mommy blogger community at first, grew Masks For Heroes into a global initiative by getting celebrities and media to spread their message. In addition to working with several medical centers in the United States, the program reached out to the United Kingdom, Northern Ireland, India and other countries.

The project was Vieira's brainchild, according to Dempsey-Multack.

"Becky, who is incredibly passionate about saying what needs to be said to help those in need, got us on our feet immediately and ready to fight this war in the most proactive way we could," Dempsey-Multack told Patch over email.

The Masks For Heroes Instagram page has over 15,000 followers, and the team has been working pro bono, Cohen said.