Pearl River Mask Drive Update: First Mask Handoff Complete!

Our first mask handoff to Elmhurst Hospital ICU and ER is complete!

The 500 masks traveled from our supplier to Mr. and Mrs. Chen’s home near Chinatown. My husband Gene and I picked up the masks —

— along with our sons. It was the first time the kids saw their grandparents in almost a month!

Then we drove the box uptown and added a few touches — 

— before passing it on to our friend, who also happens to be our neighbor. She will be bringing it directly to Elmhurst today.

A million thanks again to all who donated and helped spread the word! We have been overwhelmed by the generosity and overjoyed to hear from so many longtime customers and also brand new friends. New York at its heart is really a small town, and although so many of us are personally struggling, the fact that over 900 donors from far and wide contributed $40,000 in three days to protect local medical workers is a testament to our collective resilience and compassion — thank you!

We are working to continue the momentum and make the best use of the dollars you have donated. A shipment of 30,000 KN95 masks is due to arrive in 7 to 10 days and we would like to procure as many of those masks as possible. We are adjusting our goal to $100,000, which will cover that shipment and allow us to begin placing another order, either for more KN95s or other PPE, as needed.

Thank you again! You can learn more about the drive at our GoFundMe page. No donation is too small. Please continue to spread the word. Let’s goooo NYC!

Joanne, Mr. and Mrs. Chen, and all of us at Pearl River Mart