The Millions of Masks for Children Initiative donated more than 1 million masks to kids in Los Angeles. (photo courtesy of Red Cross Los Angeles Region)

The Millions of Masks for Children Initiative, a growing nationwide effort sponsored by the nonprofit SmartAID to help protect millions of children from COVID-19, on March 8 announced a donation of more than 1 million masks to impacted children in the Los Angeles area. These masks are being provided to the American Red Cross Los Angeles Region, office of Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, Wellnest, Children’s Institute, Children’s Action Network, Children Mending Hearts, Planet Hope and other nonprofits which together serve thousands of children in need in the Los Angeles area. FLTR, a leading supplier of a wide range of personal protective equipment, donated the masks, which DHL is helping to deliver to children in vulnerable communities throughout Los Angeles.

“SmartAID is honored to be supporting the Millions of Masks for Children Initiative across multiple states in the U.S. during the peak of the pandemic,” said Shachar Zahavi, founder and CEO of SmartAID and co-founder of the Millions of Masks for Children Initiative. “In Los Angeles, we are supporting the hardest hit areas and want to make sure that the most vulnerable communities have immediate access to ample supplies of PPE to help slow the spread of the virus.”

Los Angeles County has reported more than 1 million cumulative cases of COVID-19 since the first positive case was confirmed on Jan. 26, 2020.

“With the surge we experienced over the last few months, we have seen our most vulnerable communities impacted by high morbidity rates and cases,” said Norma Vega, chief strategy officer and external relations officer of the American Red Cross Los Angeles Region. “Our COVID-19 Rapid Response Initiative focused our preparedness education and PPE distribution efforts in these communities to mitigate the impact. We’re extremely grateful to the Millions of Masks for Children team for quickly taking action to meet the incredible need for PPE for children throughout our communities.”

As a part of this donation, the Millions of Masks for Children Initiative is supplying 200,000 children’s masks and 40,000 travel size bottles of hand sanitizer to Garcetti’s office and the American Red Cross Los Angeles Region to be included in 20,000 emergency kits being delivered to vulnerable communities throughout the Los Angeles area.

For information, visit kidmasks.org or redcross.org/la.