'Masks 4 School' Begins

One of the most effective ways we have of preventing the spread of the COVID-19 virus is a simple three-ply paper mask. However, the costs of purchasing cloth masks or a school year’s supply of paper masks for multiple children going back to school can add up quickly, especially for families who are already struggling with the loss of work and income right now.

In April, the Jewish Federation of Greater New Haven partnered with local philanthropists Amy and Bob Stefanowski to establish Masks for Heroes, an initiative to provide free surgical masks to first responders, health care providers and others on the front lines. They subsequently expanded these efforts to create Masks for CT to service any resident in need of help, distributing over 1.5 million disposable masks to over 140 Connecticut towns and cities.

Now, to address this new need felt by Connecticut families of school-aged children, the Jewish Federation of Greater New Haven has again partnered with WFSB and the Stefanowskis on Masks4School. The initiative will provide youth-sized face masks, free of charge, to families who need them. The cloth masks are designed to fit comfortably on elementary school-aged children. They can be washed and reused on a daily basis.

Over the course of four events in the final two weeks of August, Masks4School distributed 25,000 masks to families in New Haven, Hartford and Litchfield Counties. Thank you to our partners and sponsors who made this all possible.

To learn more about Masks4School, visit masks4school.org.