In an effort to support frontline workers, local Chinese-Americans in Cheshire have been making and collecting large quantities of personal protective equipment (PPE). The Tan family began the project in early March in light of the racism that many Chinese-Americans have been facing during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We learned how to make the masks from a YouTube video, and we have been using old bedsheets and fabric we have around the house,” Ms. Jiang Tan told the Record-Journal. She contacted members of the Cheshire Chinese-American community to ask for help. By April 16, the group included nearly 100 people.
Once the project gained momentum, Tyler, Tan’s son, began hosting online violin performances to raise money to purchase materials for the masks, attracting more volunteers. The Tan family’s efforts even caught the attention of Cheshire Town Councilman, Mr. Jim Jinks. In order to help the group expand its platform, Mr.
Jinks used social media and email to spread the word to more members of the Cheshire community, encouraging them to join the cause. “I [wanted] to help get their story out because they’re Chinese-Americans [and] Asian-Americans have been unfairly targeted or blamed for the virus,” said Mr. Jinks. “This group’s efforts in Cheshire needed to be highlighted and told.”
The group has made it easy for anyone to participate in the project: upon sending the organization an email, an automatic reply directs you to a YouTube video by Jo-Ann Fabrics that teaches viewers how to make a simple mask. Additionally, the Tan family set up a drop-off center in front of Cheshire Town Hall, where participants can leave masks and other supplies that will benefit healthcare and other front-line workers.
The organization has created over 1,000 masks thus far, and the effects of their efforts can already be seen. The majority of masks and other PPE have been donated to Yale-New Haven Hospital Intensive Care Units (ICU) doctors, MidState Medical Center, and Hartford Hospital, while local police officers in Cheshire have also received a batch of N95 masks. Their efforts will continue until PPEs become available to all front-line workers.
“I’ve never done anything like this before, and it’s been really heartwarming to see how appreciative everyone has been of us and what we are doing for them,” Ms. Tan told the Record-Journal.
