Treasure Coast Community Health (TCCH) and the School District of Indian River County (SDIRC) have a joint mission of keeping kids safe and healthy, ensuring their growth and development for a lifetime. For their part, TCCH provides the school district with COVID-19 vaccinations, direct medical and dental care to children at Dodgertown Elementary, wellness education throughout the district and most recently, protective facemasks.
In early August, TCCH accepted a donation of 12 pallets containing approximately 300,000 facemasks from Stephanie Smith with OTG Liquidation Center in Vero Beach. “We have a long standing relationship with OTG and they realize the importance TCCH plays in the community. Mike and Stephanie are always checking to see if TCCH needs certain items so we can keep operating at our best,” TCCH Director of Operations Steve Hellyer said regarding the donation. Smith added, “We are always happy to help.” This donation allows TCCH to allocate funds toward other important safety items such as gloves, gowns and cleaning supplies.
The timing was perfect. When SDIRC school representatives indicated an increased need for facemasks at a community meeting, Hellyer immediately offered to pay it forward. “We want to make sure that any child or school employee that needs a mask receives one so they are protected during the day,” Hellyer said. Within days, TCCH donated and delivered six pallets, with roughly 150,000 facemasks, to the SCIRC. While the school district has a large amount of masks, COVID surged again, leading to the need for more facemasks. “The help is tremendous. This donation will provide piece of mind because we now know that we have extra masks for students who need them,” SDIRC Chief Financial Officer Scott Bass said. SDIRC will distribute the facemasks according to enrollment at each school.
COVID-19 has uprooted lives, disrupted business and stressed nearly everyone’s mental health. COVID-19 has also brought to light the willingness of people to reach out and care for individuals and organizations in need. TCCH, like so many others, will keep spreading the love.
