Statement - May 26th, 2020:

Medical Students for Masks (MSFM) was formed by Philadelphia medical students to protect healthcare workers – our advisors, colleagues, peers, and friends – on the frontlines of COVID-19. Our mission was to fill the immediate need for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and efficiently distribute it to healthcare programs in the Greater Philadelphia Metropolitan Area and surrounding communities. Due to the generosity of our donors, grant awards, and non-profit fiscal sponsor, MSFM was able to raise over $76,000 and purchase PPE for 50 local programs!

The fight is not over and there is a long journey ahead as we navigate through the unchartered territories of this pandemic. However, as restrictions are slowly being lifted, and PPE is slowly becoming more readily available to healthcare providers in Philadelphia, medical students are gradually gaining permission to return to hospitals. We are honored to join the ranks and fight COVID-19 alongside the recipients of our donations. Due to the increasing need for medical students on the frontlines and decreasing need for donated PPE, we have decided to halt MSFM fundraising at this time.

We are thrilled that MSFM was able to fulfill our community’s immediate need for PPE, and we hope you will continue to support institutions designed to address more long-term COVID-19 community needs. We encourage you to continue to provide aid to your local hospitals and healthcare workers.

Again, this fight against COVID-19 is not over. Please wear masks in public and continue abiding by social distancing guidelines.

We are so grateful for all those who supported our mission and followed our journey. This effort would not be possible without the love and support of our community members. And despite closing fundraising, MSFM still has incoming orders of PPE to distribute over the next month! We look forward to continuing to provide updates on our social media.

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Background: We are a group of medical students who are collecting donations for hospitals facing severe Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) shortages in Philadelphia. Due to these shortages, many healthcare professionals here in Philadelphia are being told that they have to reuse single-use PPE, use makeshift protection (like bandannas instead of approved PPE such as N95 masks), or even go into patients' rooms under-protected. Throughout the world, we are all hearing stories about healthcare professionals getting sick. We are asking for donations to purchase this essential equipment for our healthcare workers so they can stay safe while they treat the sick. Our group's volunteers directly purchase and collect FDA approved PPE, then distribute to hospitals of in the Greater Philadelphia Metropolitan Area.

We are also asking for donations of any PPE supplies including N95 masks, protective suits (such as Dupont Tyvek body suits), goggles, face shields, gloves, etc. The situation is so dire that even expired protective materials you have on hand can help keep our healthcare workers safe.

We also have a line of apparel - and for anything you buy, 100% of proceeds go directly to purchasing PPE.

Thank you so much to all of our amazing donors.

100% of donations (including all merchandise purchase proceeds) have gone DIRECTLY to purchases of personal protective equipment.