Louis Vuitton Donates 2,500 Face Masks to New York's MTA Workers

After shifting several of its workshops to producing face masks in the wake of the coronavirus, Louis Vuitton is now allocating supplies to some of the most dire areas around the world. The French label has reportedly donated 2,500 of the masks specifically to New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) employees, as detailed by The Cut.

Several masks were said to already have been doled out to the MTA staff at the end of March as COVID-19 continued to spread throughout the city, though it hasn’t stopped the virus from taking its toll on the workers. Reportedly more than 80 have died since the pandemic hit, and thousands have tested positive.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has recently implemented further changes to the transportation system in order to help combat the spread. Last week, he announced that the subway would close down every night from 1 a.m. until 5 a.m. to allow for additional cleaning, a move that hasn’t been enacted in over 115 years, as The New York Times notes.

Though Louis Vuitton’s donations may not be able to fully provide for the MTA’s more than 74,000 employees, the resources still come at a time when the city continues to grapple with managing the virus amid limited supplies.

“As an important French House, Louis Vuitton wishes to commit at its level to producing many thousands of masks that will be distributed within the region, at no charge, to protect those who are most exposed,” CEO Michael Burke stated previously when speaking of the company’s decision to produce masks. “This production is the fruit of a wonderful collaboration with the regional sector of the textile industry.”

Elsewhere in fashion, DSPTCH has recently launched its own durable cotton ripstop face coverings, seeking to raise money for those most affected by the virus.

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Times Square Billboard Promises A Free Face Mask For Every American

DHVANI, the Activ(ist)Wear brand, unveiled a Times Square billboard promising "A Mask for Every American." The red, white and blue billboard features the internet address DHVANI.com/FreeMasks – a web page where anyone can request a free face mask, and donate to help supply masks.

The billboard kicks off a fundraising campaign to provide all 327 million American residents with a free face mask to protect themselves and others from the COVID-19 pandemic. The company will provide medical-grade masks to healthcare professionals and reusable cloth masks to the general public, per recommendations from U.S. Centers for Disease Control.

This is a personal issue for DHVANI's co-founder and chief of operations, Kanayochukwu Onwuama. Onwuama first learned of the seriousness of the personal protective equipment (PPE) shortages in the New York City area from his mother Joy Austin, a registered nurse at Elmhurst Hospital in Queens, NY. 

"When my mom told me she'd been using the same disposable mask for a whole week, my stomach dropped, and I couldn't help but cry," said Onwuama. "I immediately knew I had to do something."

"We hope nobody actually sees the billboard because they're sheltering in place," said Avi Brown, DHVANI's co-founder and chief executive. "Unprecedented times require unprecedented action. It's up to all of us to put an end to the COVID-19 pandemic. With the help of donations from the public, we're using our manufacturing and distribution resources to put a mask on every face in America."

The two founders quickly decided to help the American people fight the virus, which has already caused more than 170,000 deaths worldwide, one in four of which have been in the U.S. In Portland, where DHVANI is headquartered, the company made an initial donation of 10,000 medical-grade face masks to Providence St. Vincent Medical Center and an additional 1,000 to essential workers such as grocery store employees. Its next donation of 10,000 masks will be delivered to Elmhurst Hospital.

"Providence is grateful for DHVANI's mask donation," said Nancy Roberts, chief operating officer of Providence St. Vincent Medical Center. "Every caregiver in a patient care area, no matter what their role, wears a mask for their shift. Donations from local organizations like DHVANI help us ensure that we continue to have masks to protect our patients, their families, and our caregivers. We are truly amazed by the generosity of individuals and businesses in Oregon."

DHVANI is no stranger to philanthropic activism. Earlier this year, the brand launched their Buy One, Plant One initiative to help the reforestation effort of Australia's 8.8 million acres of brush fire devastation. The company plants a tree for every item purchased from their website. And in an effort to directly reduce plastic pollution in oceans and landfills, DHVANI recently announced its new Terra leggings and sports bras, which are made from post-consumer recycled plastic bottles. 

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