United Way of Northern Arizona — Pulling Together for PPE

When things feel like they are falling apart, we pull together. We forge partnerships and put aside the bureaucracies and red tape so we can make an impact fast.

Nowhere has this need for collaboration been more evident than during our COVID-19 pandemic. We’ve told you a lot about how we’ve forwarded your gifts to the agencies through our COVID-19 Fund, but today we wanted to talk about some partnerships that are making it easier to get PPE to groups here in northern Arizona.

The Coconino County Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) and the United Way of Northern Arizona have been working with our state VOAD organization and Phoenix-based partners like the Valley of the Sun United Way and Phoenix ToolBank to secure masks, gowns, hand sanitizer and other supplies for northern Arizona organizations.

The big donors to the program so far have been the Federal Emergency Management Agency(FEMA) and Bank of America. FEMA has provided reusable cloth masks and non-medical gowns, while BofA have given us disposable masks and hand sanitizer. We are hoping in the future to secure more items like disposable gloves for our agencies.

Here’s what’s been distributed so far to about 14 agencies and organizations, including the Flagstaff Unified School District:

As we head into another upswing in COVID-19 cases, these supplies are essential for our local agencies. We are grateful to our partners here and in Phoenix. We are also grateful to YOU, our local donors and volunteers, who help ensure that basic needs are being met during this challenging time. Thank you for stepping up, masking up and Living United!