The Committee of 100 Donates 850,000 N95 Masks to Communities in Need

New York, NY (August 5, 2020) – The Committee of 100 (C100), a non-profit U.S. leadership organization of prominent Chinese Americans in business, government, academia, healthcare, and the arts, announced today a donation of 850,000 N95 masks, valued at over $3 million, to around 100 hospitals and healthcare institutions in underserved communities. Through a partnership with the American Federation of Teachers, Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations, Jewish Federations of North America, KAHAL, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, National Alliance for Hispanic Health, National Urban League, Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City, Partnership With Native Americans, and US Heartland China Association, this donation is geared to assist disproportionately impacted minority communities and the healthcare institutions that serve them in the fight against COVID-19.

“With this donation of 850,000 N95 masks, C100 seeks to provide much-needed support to nearly 100 hospitals and healthcare institutions in the communities of color that continue to bear the brunt of this pandemic,” said Zhengyu Huang, President, C100. “This project is a continuation of our ongoing efforts to combat COVID-19 and collaborate on important issues that affect all Americans, but especially communities of color.”

In order to directly support those in need, C100 is partnering with leaders among American communities of color to donate high quality FDA-approved, NIOSH-certified N95 masks straight to hospitals operating in underserved American communities. These masks were purchased using private donations and secured in partnership with the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai, Flexport, NYU Langone Health, and Asian Tigers Moving & Storage. C100 is covering all associated shipping costs, with support from Flexport’s Frontline Responders Fund. The masks will be used by the brave doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers who continue to fight the pandemic on the frontline.

“On behalf of the City of New York, I would like to thank the leaders of C100 for donating lifesaving personal protective equipment (PPE),” said COVID-19 Public-Private Partnership Czar Peter Hatch. “Our healthcare workers appreciate the generosity you have shown throughout the pandemic.”

According to a joint effort between the COVID Tracking Project and Boston University Center for Antiracist Research, Black people are dying from COVID-19 at 2.5 times the rate of white people. Indigenous, Hispanic, Latino, Asian American and Pacific Islander communities are also affected at rates higher than white communities. The donation of N95 masks to hospitals serving these communities is part of C100’s continued commitment to addressing the effects of systemic racism and racial inequality in the country through cross-community collaboration.

“As we continue to see surges of COVID-19 cases in Hispanic communities, we thank the Committee of 100 for their generous donation of N95 masks to 15 of our member community health centers. More than ever we need to support each other,” said Jane L. Delgado, PhD, MS, President and CEO of the National Alliance for Hispanic Health.

“In this time when hospitals and health centers across the country are continuing to face shortages, the donation of PPE – N95 masks in particular- is crucial to the health and safety of the doctors, health workers serving Black and Latino communities”, added Dr. Marjorie Innocent, Senior Director of Health Programs at the NAACP. “African-Americans continue to be disproportionately affected by COVID-19 pandemic at alarming rates and the need for quality care could not be more urgent. We are grateful to C100 for this generous gift.”

Since the pandemic began, C100 and its membership have been a leader in fundraising and donating needed PPE to hospitals and communities throughout the United States. Earlier this year, C100 raised over $1 million from members and distributed high-quality FDA-approved, NIOSH-certified N95 masks, coveralls, and isolation gowns to 40 hospitals and healthcare institutions in communities hardest hit by the pandemic. C100 members have also individually donated more than $7 million to combat the pandemic.

“Native American communities grapple with the reality of limited resources every single day, and the COVID-19 pandemic has only magnified the critical need for supplies,” said Joshua Arce, President and CEO of Partnership With Native Americans (PWNA). “C100’s significant donation will allow PWNA to provide thousands of masks to our health partners in reservation communities who are doing all they can to protect those who are most vulnerable.”