The B2 is a reusable respirator that filters 99% of common contaminants and reduces filter cost and waste by half. Unlike existing consumer masks, the B2 features a flexible, patent-pending facepiece that provides superior protection and comfort. The B2 is the culmination of 4+ years of design and development, and is now ready to be mass produced. Drawbacks of Existing Masks Each of these mask types suffers from the following three issues. Poor face seals: Existing masks don't always achieve an adequate seal on the face, resulting in decreased protectio High waste and cost: N95 masks are intended to be changed regularly, which is inconvenient and expensive in many use cases Scalability of manufacturing: Face masks cannot be produced fast enough to meet the demands of both the health care system and general public Is The B2 Mask Right For Me? The B2 Mask is designed to provide excellent protection to those who are most at risk from airborne contaminants, whether due to increased environmental exposure or preexisting conditions. People who may benefit from improved protection include: The B2 Mask is not recommended for those who need protection against oil-based particles or chemical vapors. B2 Mask: Superior Breathing Protection The B2 Mask addresses the problems with existing masks and offers clear advantages over competitive options. These benefits include: Comfortable, Airtight Seal: Flexible facepiece achieves Fit Factor above 100 High-Efficiency Filters: 99% protection from contaminants down to .1 micron Reduced Cost & Waste: Scalable filter technology reduces waste and cost Durable, Reusable Design: Easily cleanable design provides years of use   Comfortable, Airtight Seal The B2's patent-pending facepiece provides excellent comfort and protection compared to existing face masks. The facepiece is constructed from FDA-approved materials, folds in half for easy storage, and can accommodate a wide range of face shapes and sizes because of its flex-hinge design. High-Efficiency Filters The B2 Mask uses the latest advances in filter technology that provides 99% filtration against a range of airborne contaminants down to .1 micron. Particle Filtration Efficiency*: >99.5% at 32 LPM – tested according in accordance to TSI8130 NaCl .1 micron particle size * Due to supply chain shortages, our 1st generation filters will not include melt-blown polypropylene. This does not compromise filtration level except for extended use in industrial settings. Refer to the following section regarding filter change frequency. In addition to providing stellar protection, the B2's filters are easy load with a simple twist-to-lock filter cap. Reduced Filter Cost and Waste B2 Mask uses the smallest, most affordable high-efficiency filters on the market. During normal use, the B2 filters offer 40-50 hours of protection before filtration efficiency starts to drop. How often you change them filters depends on how you use your B2 Mask. See the recommendations below: Low use (occasional use while going out in public): Change every 2-3 weeks Medium use (wearing consistently over the course of a week): Change weekly High use (wearing for multiple hours a day): Change daily for best protection Every B2 comes pre-packaged with 10 filters, or five filter changes (2 filters/change). You can purchase additional filters at the end of the campaign starting at $14 or only $2.30/month for 6 months of protection for standard users. The B2's filters are small and can be produced more rapidly than N95 masks. This means the B2 can scale to meet the demand of people around the world in search of high-quality breathing protection. Durable, Reusable Design The B2 Mask is designed to provide years of comfortable, sustainable protection. The B2's facepiece is constructed from durable materials and is easy to clean by hand or in a dishwasher. The overlay can be cleaned by hand or in the washing machine for easy maintenance. Testing & Regulatory Details The B2 Mask is designed to offer best-in-class protection for daily use. Our team is working with 3rd-party experts to test and validate the two critical facets of mask protection: filtration efficacy and anthropometric fit factor. Filter Testing We've selected a high-efficiency, electrostatically charged filter media that removes >99% of particulate matter down to .1 micron. The material has been tested for particulate filtration efficiency at Superior Flat and Filtration and at Nelson Labs.   Fit Factor Testing A well maintained face seal is critical to achieving high levels of protection. Initial tests using the FDA-approved Portacount 8030 system showed the B2 Mask had an average Fit Factor over 100 - the level required for NIOSH certification. Breathe99 is partnering with leading human factors design firm Anthrotech to conduct additional face fit testing with 25 participants that fill the NIOSH panel for face shape and head size Regulatory Approval We have designed the B2 Mask to comply with NIOSH N99 standards per 42 CFR Part 84, but the B2 Mask has not yet gone through the regulatory approval process with either NIOSH or the FDA. In the short term, Breathe99 will work to receive through the FDA to receive Emergency Use Authorization (EUA). Risks and Challenges Manufacturing & Overmold Complexity While the B2 mask is an incredibly simple product to use, the facepiece involves a complicated overmolding manufacturing process. Our design has been evaluated and approved by material and process experts, and our manufacturing partners are ISO 9001:2015 certified for quality management. Still, this does not eliminate the risks associated with transferring to manufacturing, especially with the speed with which we're trying to move. Regulatory Approval The B2 Mask is not yet FDA or NIOSH approved. We have completed bench testing for all relevant aspects of the B2 Mask, yet there are still risks. We are committed to pursuing all relevant certifications - including N99 certification from NIOSH - but working through these certification processes can take time. In the meantime, Breathe99 will pursue the FDA's Emergency Use Authorization (EUA).

  Using our expertise and resources in the medical and textile industries, we aim to help flatten the pandemic curve by initially providing 100,000 face masks to the general public and our frontline workers for protection against COVID-19.  Due to the urgent need for masks, we will be running multiple short campaigns. This will facilitate faster production and distribution timelines and eliminate idle stock. Our first campaign will be targeting $100,000 in 15 days. Your contribution will help us secure a needed shipment of N95/ KN95 Medical masks from an approved supplier as well as buy the raw materials for the fabric face masks.  We should all do our part to flatten the curve by wearing a fabric mask.  We are selling each mask at cost so that the mask is accessible to as many people as possible.  When you purchase your own mask, you will also be donating a medical-grade N95/ KN95/ surgical mask to one of our frontline heroes (Healthcare professionals and Essential workers).  You can recommend a hospital in need in the indiegogo comments section.   Due to the severe lack of essential Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in hospitals and the recent recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advising the general public to wear cloths masks in public, a group of our MIT Sloan Executive MBA classmates pooled our expertise and resources in order to help.    The leader of the team, Dr. Ahmed Mady’s family, owns a textile manufacturing factory where they have dedicated two production lines to manufacture face masks at cost and have a production capacity of approximately 50,000 masks per week. They have also secured three suppliers who can provide more than 100,000 N95 and KN95 FDA approved, CDC certified masks for our frontline workers.        The N95/ KN95 masks - and the materials they're made from - are in extremely short supply right now. So, it's critical that we reserve them for those who need them most, medical professionals.    For the general public, we designed a stylish face mask that is manufactured from cotton blend/100% cotton fabric with an embedded filter. The mask will be comfortable, washable and reusable for many times. These masks will achieve more than 70% protection efficacy based on published data from University of Cambridge.     A new scientific rationale has indicated that wearing a fabric facemask creates a barrier that blocks projectile droplets during coughing, which may substantially reduce the production rate R, to an extent that may be comparable to social distancing and washing hands. This would then double the effect of mitigation in “flattening the curve”.   The fabric masks will come in different colors and patterns for adults and children.            Animation: Tyler Russo Character Design: Goatboy Graphic Design: Jen Liljegren  Logo Design: Gregory Bass and Jen Liljegren Narration: Bill Rogers   Danny Muehlschlegel, M.D., MBA (c) Vice Chair of Research, Brigham and Women's Hospital/ Associate Professor of Anesthesia at Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA Oscar Benavidez, M.D., MBA (c) Chief of Pediatric Cardiology and the Medical Director of the Pediatric Cardiac Surgery and Catheterization program at Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA Mark Clemens, M.D., MBA (c) Associate Professor of Plastic Surgery, University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center Houston, TX Jagjit Dhaliwal, MBA (c) Deputy Chief Information Officer, County of Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA, United States  Jay Johnson, JD, MBA (c) An attorney, with over 15 years of government and law firm experience leading investigations, counseling on regulatory compliance, and handling litigation in a first-chair capacity, Dallas, TX Cleidy Liborio Fernandes, MBA (c) Chief Commercial Officer for the Latin America Region at CMA CGM, Miami, FL Nhan Tran, MBA (c) Former Director, Operations (GE9X), Albany International/ Albany Engineered Composites Rochester, NH Jesse Honigberg, MBA (c) SVP, Director of Innovation and Product Development, Cross River Bank Teaneck, NJ  Marjorie Cass, MBA (c) President, Matterlab Digital, New York, NY Trevor Barcelo, MBA (c) Marketing Director, Analog Devices, Wilmington, MA  Manny Sabiiti, MBA (c) Head Trader & Partner, Boston Common Asset Management,Boston, MA   

A multidisciplinary team for a complex need Today's frontline workers engaged in the fight against Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) must before all think about their own safety before taking care of their patients. This is due to their personal protective equipment (PPE) being inappropriate for the demanding conditions faced in tropical climates in developing countries. Overheating and exhaustion while working, self-contamination during the critical undressing procedure, lack of human and empathic relationship with patients are typical issues faced by healthcare workers in their daily work. We are medical doctors, engineers, entrepreneurs and humanitarian responders engaged in developing a personal protective equipment allowing healthcare workers caring for patients infected by the Ebola virus to perform their work in a safe environments. The solution     To address the safety issues linked to the multitude components of the PPE, especially those protecting the head and face area, we have designed a one-piece suit with a large face shield. This single-piece design greatly simplifies and accelerates dressing and undressing procedures. The latter is particularly crucial, since healthcare workers are exhausted - sometimes dehydrated - when they leave these suits, which makes them more prone to making mistakes if the undressing procedure is complex, thus increasing the risk of self-contamination with infected fluids remaining on the suit.   SmartPPE also features a ventilation system to keep the temperature inside the suit bearable. The air is filtered and brought directly to the face area, which prevents fogging of the face shield.   Finally, our solution is also reusable, contrarily to most items of currently used PPE. This means less hassle for procurement, storage and especially for waste disposal. But it also means a reduced cost in the long run for a better suit. The PPE can be disinfected using locally available infrastructures, i.e. essentially a bucket of chlorinated water, and reused up to 100 times.   The suit we are developing has already undergone several rounds of prototyping, has benefited from the long experience of SF Tech in designing suits for adverse environments and has undergone several reviews by field experts from MSF. It is now ready to enter a final testing phase in specialized laboratories to validate its protective performance in the conditions faced in Ebola treatment centers in DRC, before it can be safely sent to the field. We need your support to carry out this critical phase before the project can be safely transferred to our industrial partner and the suit can start being used in the field, where it is most needed.   Are you ready to join us? Your contribution today will help us get solid evidence that our suit is tough enough for the very demanding environmental conditions encountered in DRC. More importantly, since our solution is reusable, to cut down waste and costs, the tests we have planned will guarantee frontline workers that even after dozens of use, washing and disinfection cycles their equipment is as safe and performant as new. And because a project like this with multiple partners and institutions requires a strong pilot, we will look for the best possible leader to make this suit field ready.   In return Traditional crowdfunding campaigns will reward your support with one of the items you will help produce. We do not think that you are interested in having an Ebola PPE for gardening or walking your dog. The perks we are offering reflect our expertise in our fields (like the waterproof laptop protection or the rugged water purifying bottle) as well as the human relationships we want to put at the heart of what our suit enables, by giving you the opportunity to meet us and discover the environment in which this suit is developed.   Bring this suit where it is needed   By carrying out this critical testing phase, we will then be confident to tell healthcare workers that they are safe to wear this suit when attending Ebola patients and that they can enjoy its benefits - more time at the patient's bed, more human relationship with them, focus on their work rather than their safety. The biggest Ebola outbreak in the history of DRC is still ongoing, despite the availability of vaccines and treatments. One of the reasons for this is the difficulty to engage communities and build trust  to convince patients and potentially infected people to attend an Ebola treatment center. This difficulty comes in part from the lack of human relationship between caretakers and patients, because patients can only see healthcare workers' eyes - most of the time through fogged up goggles. Making our suit available in the field will help counter this, thanks to the large face visor, kept clear by the constantly ventilated air.

Fastest way to train your brain for emotional intelligence and improve social-emotional performance. Today's children, parents, and leaders don't have access to the social and emotional education they need. 50% of children, parents, and leaders around the world are struggling in social-emotional crisis, preventing them from achieving full performance potential.We want to help people move from crisis to performance. According to Talent Smart,90% of top performers have high EQ and make on average $29,000 more per year in annual salary. We consider this stat a result of social-emotional performance. Here are some other benefits. For two years, we've been testing our games around the world, in multiple languages, and we're ready for a global launch! We're using Indiegogo to raise enough money to print in bulk quantities, with manufacturers, to make our games accessible for as many families as possible.o help children, families, and leaders play our games, we provide live online sessions with certified tutors and coaches. And we guarantee the results. This video explains more. How You Can Support and the Perks 100% of our funding is going towards inventory and fulfillment costs (Indiegogo does take 5% plus there are payment processor fees). All research, development, and prototyping is complete and we've been selling in smaller quantities for the past two years. Again, achieving our funding goals will help us with mass manufacturing and reduce the cost of all our products, making them accessible to everybody.   Tell us the age of your child and we'll send you the appropriate game level deck. 54 poker-size cards in each deck. Contains all instructions and an online mini-course to learn how to play. Available in English, Spanish and Mandarin Chinese.     Risks & Challenges If we don't reach the entire funding goal, we're still going ahead. We'll print fewer quantities and will plan to print more inventory on the next run. The risk is we don't raise enough funds to print enough quantities of our games and reduce the price enough to advance our cause. As said, we'll print no matter how much we raise, but then we might have to go back to smaller and more expensive quantities for the next batch of games. The good news is we've been in business for two years already. We have production experience. So, we're confident we can deliver. But here's our plan in detail. Best Case: Funding goal is reached and we use our mass printing partners. Mid Range: We have identified North American printers that cost a little more but will do smaller runs. Worst Case: We use our current printer that allows smaller runs but at the higher costs we've been paying.   Other Ways To Get Involved If you're not in a position to contribute, that's OK. There are other ways to help us out. Please spread the word. Every share, mention, and referral helps.  You can also follow us on social media for free videos, articles, and education on emotional intelligence and parenting. Go be the joy and transformation we all want to see in the world! Thank you from Team YouEQ!

By fundraising for coronavirus relief endeavors, or donating to a coronavirus support fund, we can all do our part and provide much-needed support and aid. With the growing number of confined areas, individuals in these areas need vital medical help and day-to-day things to pull through this new threat.With so much uncertainty and concern surrounding the recent coronavirus, it’s easy to feel helpless—but there is something we can all do to help the struggle against it. Apart from keeping safe and following guidelines from medical experts, we can all do our part to get help to people and areas that have been affected. The impact of the coronavirus has spread far beyond those who have become infected. Entire areas now face emergency lockdowns, and in Italy alone, over 16 million people have been quarantined in an attempt to prevent further spread of the disease. With such a staggering number of people in quarantine and more becoming sick, necessitates quickly mount. Everything from basics, like food to emergency financial assistance to pay for things like rent is urgently needed as people experience lost salaries due to illness or quarantine restrictions. For those who are already sick, paying medical bills has become an additional burden.  In countries like the United States, where not everyone may have access to insurance, financial help for the coronavirus is desperately needed to ensure people don’t avoid seeking treatment or testing because they don’t have insurance. As the threat of this disease grows and puts further strain on communities, here are a few things we can all consider doing to provide some relief: FOOD, WATER, AND OTHER BASICS... Create care packages with supplies...Low-income families are already strained in good times but this new threat makes it even more important to provide immediate financial assistance to these households.  EMERGENCY MEDICAL TREATMENT, MEDICATION, AND EQUIPMENTAs our economy becomes strained and more people are affected by financial pressures, the ability for people to pay for medication and treatment becomes a real hurdle to seeking treatment. As a result, people across the world have already started their COVID-19 fundraising efforts, and you can do your part to provide direct financial assistance to fundraisers.Please donate and share this campaign with your friends and family

Thanks to community support, we are now almost halfway toward our goal of raising $17,820 to set up a Refugee Emergency Assistance Fund. Can you please help us reach that goal? Thanks to an anonymous donor, your gift will be doubled!  Interfaith Ministries has been serving refugees for over 30 years. They are our neighbors and friends. Many work in hourly jobs that have been affected by the COVID-19 outbreak, and they are suffering from lost or reduced wages. Our emergency fund will help them cover rent and childcare during this critical time, until they can get back on their feet.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Kingston University has launched an emergency appeal for our Student Hardship Fund. We want to ensure that our students are supported through this crisis and we are already seeing an influx of students requiring help. We are proud to have a long history of welcoming people of any and all backgrounds to Kingston, with a particular focus on those people less likely to have the opportunity to go to University. This includes those from financially disadvantaged backgrounds, those with disabilities or caring responsibilities, and students estranged from their families or from care-experienced backgrounds.These students are far more vulnerable to the effects of the current pandemic than students who have safe family homes to return to and families who are able to help financially in times of crisis. These students have already overcome incredible odds to make it to university and we want to make sure this crisis doesn't put a premature end to their studies.In addition to this, the vast majority of our students have at least one part-time job, and many hold down two or three alongside their studies. Students are overwhelmingly part of the 'gig economy', or in casual work on zero hours contracts in sectors being particularly hard hit - hospitality, childcare, pubs and clubs.39% of our students are from families with an income of under £25,000, and so the safety net of the 'Bank of Mum and Dad' doesn't exist. Our students are doing all they can to transform their life chances, and we don't want this crisis to stop them.Where will the money go?100% of money raised will be directed towards our Student Hardship Fund to help with the exceptional applications the team are already beginning to receive. We would like to provide an additional £20,000 in immediately available funding so that the team are able to respond rapidly to the needs of students. Funds will be prioritised for current applications, but if we raise more than is needed for our students during the coming months it will be available as part of our Hardship Funding for the next academic year.We appreciate that this is a very difficult time for many people and you may not be in a position to support us. Sharing with your friends and colleagues will go a huge way in ensuring we can support the students that need it.

The ARTS Council of the Southern Finger Lakes is establishing an Emergency Arts Fund to support artists during the COVID-19 crisis. Numerous cancelled exhibitions, performances, and in-person opportunities, as well as the closure of galleries and cultural centers have resulted in a total loss of income for many artists in our region. The ARTS Council will use this funding to support a two-pronged approach to directly supporting artists during the COVID-19 crisis: establish a stream of paid online artist opportunities; the continuance of the Emergency Arts Relief Grant that allows for artists with cancelled artistic opportunities to apply for grants of up to $250 during this challenging time. In this video, Artist Member Filomena Jack describes how COVID-19 has impacted her income as an artist and instructor in the Finger Lakes Region of NYS.

When #StayHome isn't safe...To #stayhome is not safe for women facing domestic violence. As women are now trapped with perpetrators, they are at higher risk of violence.To #stayhome means no income for women who face financial abuse, or find themselves with no safety net around them.The situation is critical. In the last week, most of our refuge residents were let go from their jobs. They now have no income and are unable to meet even their most basic needs, like buying food, sanitary products, soap, nappies and milk.We are using our Emergency Fund with 2 aims: to provide our residents with what they need to live dignified lives and crucially, to increase the hours of our online emergency advice line, giving women a lifeline when it is not safe for them to pick up the phone.We desperately need to raise 5k to add to our Emergency Fund. This will enable us to continue supporting the 14 families in our refuges as well as the women out there who need our help.Please donate today. With your support, we can ensure some of the most vulnerable families in our society have a fighting chance at normality.Our MissionWe pursue our mission by putting into practice the ethics and values ​​of sorority rooted in both intersectional feminism and community feminism. Based on the traditions of black feminism, we recognize the role played by intersectional identities in people’s lives. Therefore, we base LAWA’s work on an intersectional approach, to support women through our services, while recognizing their right to self-determination.In the same way, we integrate our ethics and practices in Latin American community feminism, which originated with indigenous women in Bolivia and Guatemala. This means that our feminist practice is built within the community through collective, rather than individual, approaches to change, and using popular creative methodologies that are accessible to all. It is from this communitarian and decolonial feminist position that, as Latin American women, we recognize our history and struggle against on-going colonialist-patriarchal forms of violence and oppression.

The United Nations appealed on Tuesday for more 53210$ to help one (m) million flood victims in the Philippines, which has been lashed by two major storms.A launch event for the Philippines Flash Appeal 2020, held in the nation's capital Manila, was attended by UN and Filipino officials.United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) representative Ann Veneman told the gathering: "Time is of the essence. A major response from the international donor community is now absolutely essential if the current operation is to be scaled up to meet the needs on the ground."Jacqueline Badcock, representing the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) said the international community was being asked to contribute to the appeal "to ensure that the people of the Philippines can rebuild their lives as quickly as possible."Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, thanked the UN for responding to the request for assistance in such a short time.He stressed the need to get hospital facilities up and running, and warned that epidemic potential was high in areas which had been flooded for several days.Before the launch event UN humanitarian chief John Holmes said he has already authorised an immediate allocation of 7 (m) million US dollars from the UN's Central Emergency Response Fund, and that the appeal has already received between 9 (m) million US dollars and 10 (m) million US dollars.Holmes said the appeal is seeking money for food, water, sanitation facilities, emergency shelter and health care for those worst affected by Tropical Storm Ketsana and Typhoon Parma.In addition to UN efforts, he said, many governments in the region and elsewhere, including the United States, are helping in different ways.The storm lashed Manila and nearby provinces on September 26, causing the worst flooding in the capital in more than four decades.About 20 typhoons and storms lash the Philippine archipelago each year.

Aid organisations appealed on Tuesday for funds to help Syria recover from an eight-year war that has driven almost six million people out of the country, as donors from nearly 85 countries readied for a pledging conference in Brussels that starts Thursday.Agencies, non-governmental organisations, and think tanks say the conflict, which has killed more than 400,000 people and sparked a refugee exodus that destabilised Syria's neighbours and hit Europe, is far from over. Around 80 percent of people inside the country live in extreme poverty and refugees are reluctant to return, fearing violence, conscription or prison.According to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, some 100,000 people have been displaced since the last wave of violence began in mid-February, including tens of thousands from Khan Sheikhoun in northwest Syria, which has been repeatedly hit by government forces from the air and ground in recent weeks. It estimated that some 140 people, including 69 civilians, were killed over three weeks.As the conflict enters its ninth year, about 11.7 million Syrians still depend on aid, more than six million have been displaced inside Syria and some two million children are out of school.But donor fatigue is growing: Of around 3.5 billion euros (3.9 billion US dollars) pledged last year, only around two thirds were funded.Beyond providing aid, the European Union — the world's biggest donor and host of Thursday's conference — refuses to help rebuild the country until a political settlement has been reached.The EU is hoping that the meeting can give impetus to stalled peace moves under UN auspices, on top of gathering humanitarian aid for Syria and for neighbours hosting refugees like Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan.But some NGOs believe that its stance over rebuilding can be a serious obstacle to genuine aid efforts."We need to hold the EU accountable to its position, that there should be no reconstruction, whether you want to call it reconstruction, early recovery or new things like humanitarian infrastructure or all these nice and sexy words we come up with to justify our actions, we need to be accountable to our ethical position, that unless the war is over and there is a political solution, we may be contributing to an unsustainable peace in Syria", said Dr. Rouba Mhaissen, founder and director of Sawa for Development and Aid.Jordan CEO of Save the Children Rania Malki stressed that securing money for "the recovery of children, who have suffered in this conflict" was crucial.Geert Cappelaere, UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, echoed her words by emphasising that "the situation of Syrian children remains incredibly dire"."Every single day in 2019, at least three children got killed in this war," he added. Absent from the donor conference are Syrians themselves. No government or opposition representatives have been invited, but civil society group representatives in Brussels for the occasion are concerned that donor countries want to pressure Syrian refugees to return, despite the dangers and uncertainties they could face.

Cloth masks produced by small manufacturers in the US that will be donated to those in need.   #MaskUp and Save Lives As COVID-19 continues to spread, we must each do our part to help reduce transmission rates: Funded by your donations, we are keeping American manufacturers in business by creating a large number of cloth masks to donate to those in need — hospitals, homeless shelters, non-profit organizations who work with vulnerable populations, and for those working at health care facilities, including janitorial staff, cafeteria workers, parking attendants, and more.. To show our appreciation for generous donations, we have set aside a small quantity of cloth masks to those who request them to increase your personal safety, the safety of those around you, and reduce the stigma of wearing masks in the US. If we exceed our fundraising goals, we'll make more available.  By backing this campaign, you’ll be: Supporting jobs and manufacturing in the US as a stop gap measure, until these factories have contracts to produce masks for local and national governments. All masks will be made locally by factories in Los Angeles. Allowing hospitals and clinics to use cloth masks for lower-risk patient care and low-risk situations, in addition to a mask cover. This allows them to save N95 medical masks for high-risk care. Donating reusable cloth masks to hospitals, non-profit organizations, homeless shelters, nursing homes, and local businesses providing essential services such as delivery, restaurants, etc. Protecting yourselves and your community by wearing masks to prevent spread and reducing the stigma around mask wearing, as many people wear masks for either medical necessity or cultural norms. Helping to protect some of the most vulnerable people in society. Los Angeles has a population of nearly 60,000 people who are homeless, many of whom sleep on the street and do not have access to high quality health care. New Limited Perks! We ran out of the 500 masks we set aside for donors within the first week, but have decided to allot another 500 masks since we were able to do a second production run. Only 10% of the total masks we produce will be given to donors to ensure the majority of masks will reach those with critical needs.If you choose the Get 2 + Donate 3 perk, your masks will be shipped via USPS Priority Mail Flat Rate box. The volunteers packing these items will be wearing gloves and masks, but please launder the masks before use.  What We’re Doing: Many are stepping up to answer the call for help from health care professionals, but people working outside of hospitals are also in need. While all available N95 masks and professional PPE should be reserved for health care settings, we’re working with local manufacturers to provide some protection to underfunded and disadvantaged organizations and communities.  As the Founder/CEO of a sustainable clothing startup committed to production based in the United States, I have partnerships with factories and manufacturers in Los Angeles that can produce thousands of masks. I’ve redirected my startup capital to get this project going, and have paused development on my company’s launch to work with my partners to produce masks instead. I’ve invested $15,000 as seed money, but need at least another $10,000 to produce at scale. I am donating these masks at cost and want to support the local garment industry temporarily until they can be funded by the government or other organizations at scale. We are currently able to make approximately 1,000 masks a week, but we estimate that we have the capacity to produce up to 3,000 a week with your funding. 100% of your funds go directly to making masks.Masks have variable costs depending on the size of the manufacturer, the quantity ordered, and availability of fabric (in short supply at the moment). At the moment, they cost roughly $3.60 to make. The price per mask decreases the larger the quantity we order. That means, the more we raise the more efficient we become, which means more masks to workers in need. We reserve 10% as an operations reserve in case we can no longer depend on volunteers alone for delivery of masks, but anything remaining will go directly into making more masks. Stellari LLC and our manufacturing partners are working to produce and donate cloth masks at cost. Masks given to donors are also at cost, we do not make any profit from IndieGoGo perks.  Why Cloth Masks? In hospitals and medical practices around the country, physicians and nurses are facing a critical shortage of FDA-approved medical Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), putting them and other patients in jeopardy as they care for ever-increasing numbers of COVID-19 cases.  As a clothing brand, our partners are best suited to making cloth masks not intended for clinical use. We wish to help keep our partners in business by efficiently producing cloth masks for low-risk settings. While our cloth face masks are NOT medical devices, the pattern has been developed by the LA Mayor's Office and Kaiser Permanente, the country’s largest healthcare management system. Per CDC recommendations, fabric masks are an acceptable crisis response option when standard PPE is unavailable, and many hospitals in the US are accepting cloth masks to address the shortage. In some developing countries, cloth masks are still used as standard PPE.  Please note, these masks are not intended for clinical use and must be laundered before and after every use. Stellari and all of its related affiliates and partners make no claims regarding the safety and efficacy of cloth masks in preventing any disease or illness, including, but not limited to COVID-19.   How We’ll Make And Deliver Masks: Masks will be produced by Stellari's manufacturing partners based in Los Angeles. Our partners include: A Cut Above the Rest (manufacturer),Left Production Co (manufacturer), All the Right Stuff (trims), and others. Some of our partners have already switched to making masks, so our funding efforts will be additive to their ongoing work. This helps keep their businesses alive and pay their workers during a difficult time. All masks will be delivered by volunteers to non-profit organizations and health care facilities that have specifically requested cloth masks, or shipped using the operations reserve.  Within the first week of launch, we were able to distribute over 900 masks with the majority going to the following organizations: Doctors Abroad Foundation, which provides medical care to those underprivileged regardless of ethnicity, gender, or age.   HopeNet LA, a network of 12 food pantries in the metro Los Angeles that have served over 3 million people since 1988  Orange County Emergency Child Care Centers, around OC Southern California Hospital at Culver City, and 2 other Los Angeles area hospitals for personal use by healthcare workers  About the Masks: We are using a pattern developed by LA Mayor Garcetti’s Office, Kaiser Permanente (the largest healthcare management service in the country) andReformation, a sustainable clothing brand based in Los Angeles. Please visit LA Protects, for the pattern and more information. All masks are latex free and double layered.  Other Ways You Can Help: Thank you for reading this, we appreciate it! If you’re looking for another effort, please consider:.  Mask Match: Matching N95 masks with medical professionals in need LA Protects: Initiative by the LA Mayor's office GetPPE.org   Millions of Masks: Purchase cloth masks from Reformation,  an official partner of LAProtects.org