91探花

On a typical day, is an astrophysicist, studying the far reaches of the universe.

These aren鈥檛 typical days. Across the 91探花, faculty, staff, clinicians and students are stepping forward in a variety of ways to support the COVID-19 response, particularly efforts to help front-line medical personnel.

Dalcanton, a 91探花professor, is busy wrangling badly needed facemasks and other personal protective equipment for medical professionals during the coronavirus response. Volunteers are collecting and distributing unused masks from front porches to medical providers, all while practicing safe-distance guidelines and hygiene.

 

 

鈥淥ur niche isn鈥檛 to make new masks. Ours is just about collecting some of the small resources people already have,鈥� she said. Dalcanton is one of the creators and operators of the , one of several self-made distribution hubs in the region matching donations with medical providers in need.

鈥淟ots of us want to be of use,鈥� she said.

That desire to help out has spurred other initiatives, too, and help has poured in from around the globe to assist in the relief effort in Seattle, said Jennifer Hazelbrook, who works in 91探花Medicine Advancement.

鈥淲e had to build a system to respond to the generous outpouring of support,鈥� Hazelbrook said.

They鈥檝e developed a that catalogues the needs of 91探花Medicine and then asks the community for donations. Each day a crew of specially trained volunteers from the 91探花is collecting donations — masks, goggles, hand sanitizer and more — from the public near the 91探花Plant Services Building. The volunteers are themselves armed in protective gear, with one person assigned to greet and thank the donor, another person to collect the donations and another team assigned to sort and inventory the donations received.

鈥淚t鈥檚 been really inspiring to see how the entire community and the 91探花have rallied to support 91探花Medicine鈥檚 patients and caregivers,鈥� Hazelbrook said. 鈥淥ur job is just to be able to bring in as many of the critically needed donations as we can.鈥�

And the donations have included more than medical supplies.

Seattle restaurant London Plane donated a week鈥檚 worth of staff meals. Lacey-based Girl Scout Troop 45030 collected and donated 286 boxes of cookies for the staff breakrooms at 91探花Medicine hospitals. Even the singer Lizzo donated lunches for medical workers at 91探花Medical Center recently.

"You guys are heroes," –

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— 91探花Medicine (@UWMedicine)

But it鈥檚 been the outpouring of support from the community that鈥檚 made the biggest difference.

Kathleen Farrell, the work-life program manager for 91探花Human Resources, helped to create a kind of service for 91探花Medicine workers. The service matches people in need with 91探花students, staff, faculty and families and friends who are available to help with child care. Background checks are done for free. There鈥檚 also a way for employees who need financial support to ask for no-cost child care.

So far, more than 120 employees have asked for child care help, while about 450 91探花students have raised their hands to provide care along with more than 200 friends and family of 91探花Medicine workers, Farrell said. Of those, 36% of 91探花students who offered to provide care are willing to do so at no cost, and 16% of 91探花friends and families are able to work for free.

鈥淚t鈥檚 really just been heartwarming,鈥� she said.

Local residents should take a look in their hardware supplies and emergency kits to see if they have any items that could be put toward the medical relief effort, such as N95 masks, Dalcanton said.

It doesn鈥檛 matter if people have two masks or 2,000; groups like the Seattle Mask Brigade will pick up donated supplies and deliver them to medical centers in need.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a privilege to be able to help. It鈥檚 wonderful to be exposed to the goodness of people,鈥� Dalcanton said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e deeply indebted to the health care workers on the front line and happy to be able to support them.鈥�

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