Melissa Qin Donates Masks to Medical Workers
Over the course of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, face masks have been low in availability for hospital workers, as stated by the Chicago Tribune. To combat this, junior Melissa Qin has set up a fundraiser through her Palos Verdes (PV) chapter of the nonprofit organization, Future Chinese Leaders of America (FCLA), where participants donate face masks to medical workers in need of protection. With the help of United States (U.S.) medical suppliers and Chinese recipients in Wuhan, Qin has been supervising and running the fundraiser with FCLA.
Qin first spread awareness of the fundraiser through the PV FCLA and FCLA Club sites in February. In three months, Qin has raised more than $5,000 through the use of GoFundMe and Venmo Donations, mobile apps and websites used to receive payments from others. Qin also donated approximately 800 nonsurgical masks to small businesses and local residents as well as 300 surgical N95 masks to the hospital at Keck Medicine of University of Southern California (USC).
“[At first], we raised money for Wuhan medical communities through GoFundMe and Venmo donations,” Qin said. “In late March, when the U.S. became the center for the pandemic, we [switched our] focus there instead.”
The monetary donations were initially shipped to hospitals in the city of Shanghai and areas within the Hubei province before being sent to hospitals in the PV area when U.S. cases increased. In the U.S., the focus of the donations was to the hospital at Keck Medicine of USC. After distributing the collected funds to these facilities, a Google survey was created and posted on NextDoor, a social media app used to keep neighborhoods in touch. The survey began the second part of the project, asking households in need of masks to fill it out so FCLA could provide them with some. Qin and those working with her through FCLA delivered packs of 20 nonsurgical masks to the local community members who responded to the form.
FCLA Financial Vice President and sophomore Jennifer Lew is in charge of overseeing the group’s bank account and managing the finances. The organization believed that providing masks was a contribution that had an achievable goal while everyone was stuck at home and one that could really help protect people at risk. Lew hopes that FCLA made a notable impact on peoples’ lives and that the organization will continue to help others.
“I learned that the magnitude of power you have does not define your ability to make a difference,” Lew said. “Although FCLA has a substantial amount of support from members, we are not a globally known organization. I am proud to take part in this fundraiser and be able to help people all across the globe with our efforts.”
Qin ended her mask fundraiser in April, but she is working with others on creating new projects for the summer. The organization is still accepting donations through Venmo to FCLA- Fundraiser or through their GoFundMe page listed as ‘FCLA Unites to Fight the Coronavirus!’ FCLA hopes to continue this campaign and provide more resources to hospitals and essential workers such as masks, clothing, shoes and more.
Paulina Garmute is a junior and the FCLA Vice President. She anticipates that the FCLA monetary donations will help alleviate some worries for hospitals and medical staff and impact COVID-19 research positively, allowing for further research towards vaccinations and other treatments. Additionally, Garmute believes that through the efforts of FCLA, Peninsula students will be encouraged to help raise awareness during this pandemic.
“I hope that her donations not only help those who physically need them but will also spur the compassion among others and encourage others to start their own fundraising,” Garmute said. “These acts of kindness will be recognized by others and appreciated more than anyone would ever know.”
Qin hopes that FCLA’s efforts will help to combat Asian xenophobia and racism emerging around the virus by showing that Asian organizations are contributing to solving the problem that is COVID-19. Melissa Qin hopes for a future where people from all backgrounds can come together to help combat issues such as racism and work to improve the lives of all. She wants students at Peninsula and beyond to know they have a voice and that they too can make a difference in peoples’ lives.
“There are awful stories right now about people being discriminated against in public spaces because of their Asian American heritage,” Qin said. “I was inspired because the nonprofit I am involved in aims to bring awareness to Asian American issues. People calling COVID-19 the ‘Chinese virus’ and treating Asian American citizens unfairly has really angered me, so I decided to do something about it.”
