The State of Michigan announced Friday that it is providing four million free masks to those vulnerable to COVID-19 under a new program called MI Mask Aid.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist and Ford CEO Jim Hackett made the announcement during a press conference Friday.
The masks will go to low-income residents, seniors, schools and homeless shelters.
“Michigan needs to continue to ‘mask up’ to protect us all from COVID-19,” Whitmer said. “Vulnerable populations may have difficulties buying masks and our schools need face coverings to keep students, staff and community members safe. I am thrilled that the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), Ford and FEMA are working together to help control the spread of the coronavirus.”
It's in partnership with the state's Coronavirus Task Force on Racial Disparities which Gilchrist chairs.
The irony of this pandemic that requires physical distancing is that it reveals how connected we truly are—how much we rely on one another every day,” Gilchrist said. “I’m thankful for our partners at Ford, FEMA and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services for coming together in a big way to ensure that our communities, particularly those hardest hit, have what they need to get through these tough times. By delivering four million masks at no cost to Michiganders, we can provide a proven, lifesaving device to countless residents as they go back to work, school, and define new way of living during this pandemic.”
FEMA provided 1.5 million masks that were sent to organizations including local Community Action Agencies, MDHHS offices, Area Agencies on Aging, homeless shelters and Native American tribes.
FEMA is providing another 1 million masks and Ford is providing 1.5 million masks for low-income schools, the City of Detroit, Federally Qualified Health Centers, some COVID-19 testing sites and to many of the organizations listed above to reach vulnerable populations.
“Masks are proven to reduce a person’s chance of spreading COVID-19 by about 70 percent. There’s also growing evidence that masks can protect the wearer’s life, by reducing the severity of COVID if they get it,” MDHHS Director Robert Gordon said. “It’s critically important to make sure communities most impacted by COVID-19 have greater access to masks at no cost. The MI Mask Aid initiative is a critical step in this effort.”
“Manufacturing is the backbone of America and from World War II to fighting COVID-19, Ford has a rich history of stepping up in times of crisis to help Michigan and our country,” Hackett added. “And today we continue in our efforts, with the State of Michigan and in coordination with the Task Force on Racial Disparities, by donating face masks to serve communities especially vulnerable to COVID-19. We also will continue to look for ways to address urgent needs of our communities by leveraging our partnerships through the Ford Motor Company Fund.”
Anyone interested in receiving a free mask can find a distribution location by calling the COVID-19 Hotline at 888-535-6136 or looking up their local Community Action Agency online.
