By: Carly Truett, Writer / Follow South Jersey Public Health Intern
CAMDEN, N.J. — The Cooper and Norcross Foundations have teamed up to distribute masks in the community in efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. In phase three of their distribution plan, all students in the city of Camden will receive a free, reusable face mask.
All students in the city’s public, renaissance, charter, and Catholic schools, grades pre-K through high school will receive the mask. The foundations expect more than 16,000 masks to be distributed. The foundations will work with school administrators to ensure each student receives a mask.
“Education is critical to the future of every student in Camden and to the city’s future. To ensure our students’ safety, and their ability to learn, we wanted to make sure everyone was equipped with a mask to keep them safe and healthy.” George E. Norcross III, chairman of the Norcross Foundation, said in a press release.
The two foundations have worked together for months as part of a plan to distribute more than 275,000 masks in the community. Tens of thousands have already been distributed. Their recipients include police, fire, and EMS personnel, teachers and other educators, patients at local hospitals, and residents of Camden, Burlington, and Gloucester counties. The foundations hope to assist families with sending children back to school as safely as possible.
“Schools will require students to wear facemasks once they return to the classroom, and we want to give parents one less thing to worry about in getting their children back to school,” Anthony J. Mazzarelli, co-CEO of the Cooper Foundation, said in a release.
- ‘Our Garden’ Project At Reed’s Organic Farm Aims To Bring People Together Through Gardening
- Ashly Estevez-Perez Founded Monvimiento Tricolor To Serve And Celebrate Dominican Republic Heritage
- Student Story: Damn Yankees Hits Grand Slam At Overbrook High School
This article was produced by a Follow South Jersey news intern thanks to a grant provided by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation through the New Jersey Health Initiatives program to create hyper-local news to meet the informational and health needs of the City of Bridgeton, N.J.
