A significant effort has been made to protect a vulnerable segment of the Windsor-Essex population from COVID-19.
The group Conquer COVID-19 announced on Monday a donation of over 120,000 masks, face shields, and personal protective equipment (PPE) to the region's migrant workers, currently the portion of the local population that is hardest hit by COVID-19.
Conquer COVID-19 consists of doctors, nurses, business leaders, small business owners and volunteers.
The initiative has raised millions of dollars in its efforts to distribute the PPEs nationwide, but according to a release from the office of Windsor-Tecumseh MP Irek Kusmierczyk, the donation in Windsor-Essex will go to six agencies and community organizations, including the Migrant Worker Community Program, Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers, the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit, Windsor Regional Hospital, Erie Shores Healthcare, and Hotel-Dieu Grace Healthcare.
"These organizations are working day-and-night to protect our farmworkers and our communities, and this incredible donation provides a timely boost and the opportunity to demonstrate once again that our region stands united," said Kusmierczyk.
Windsor Regional Hospital will have the responsibility to donate a portion of the masks to the vegetable growers' association and the migrant worker program, for the intention of delivering the PPEs right to migrant workers. WRH will also pass the PPEs along to the other two Windsor-Essex healthcare systems and the health unit for distribution to healthcare workers who work directly with migrant workers.