Guard Against COVID-19 with Masks through Community Efforts

Guard Against COVID-19 with Masks through Community Efforts

CCC Distributing Masks to Partners, Members and Grassroot Community

Toronto, March 30, 2020 – Chinese Cultural Centre of Greater Toronto (CCC) has sourced some surgical face masks recently from donors, who have asked to remain anonymous, to contribute to the efforts to help those frontline healthcare heroes and better protect the grassroot community as a preventive measure in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

CCC leadership team remarks that “We hail the tireless work and self-sacrifice of the healthcare professionals who are battling hard the virus to save lives. But they must be well protected from being infected first. CCC would donate a significant portion of the face masks received to our community partner Scarborough Health Network which is in dire need of large amount of surgical face masks for their healthcare workers. We also share some portion with our dedicated patrons, volunteers, members, seniors as well as the grassroot community who have no source to get masks to keep themselves and their loved ones safe.

While all should stay home and practise physical distancing to keep safe, some still need to attend medical appointments, fill prescriptions or get essential groceries occasionally. Many people, particularly the vulnerable and high-risk group like the seniors, have expressed the fear of going out without a mask. To calm their anxieties, CCC has mobilized volunteers, members of the Youth Leaders’ Circle, to deliver 600 packages of masks to all households in two senior apartment buildings in Scarborough.

Response to such initiative at this challenging time is overwhelming. A supporter of CCC for more than 20 years says, “The best investment is in your community! I received the biggest reward from CCC. They are demonstrating their care for the community and also taking care of those who helped them to do so…… This kind gesture of CCC is worth more than a pot of gold to many in this critical time. With these masks, my family, my elderly neighbours, a pregnant friend and my son in the States can all benefit from.”

To accompany the donation of masks, CCC has prepared a simple note to guide the recipients How to Wear a Mask Properly and Healthy Habits.

In less than a week, CCC has distributed over 5,000 masks to over 70 groups, including grassroot and multicultural communities, women and seniors, interest classes and CCC supporters. Larger amounts of donation will be coming, and the masks would be donated to SHN.

About CCC

Chinese Cultural Centre of Greater Toronto is a non-profit and non-political charitable organization. It is one of the largest Chinese cultural centres in North America with 85,000 sq. ft. self-owned premises. CCC has over 30 years of proud history serving the community and playing leadership role in preserving and promoting Chinese culture and heritage in Canada. It is a multicultural hub for all ethnic groups and people of all ages in promoting multiculturalism and ethnic harmony, sharing the Chinese and Canadian values, helping newcomers to integrate into the Canadian society, and nurturing youths to be future leaders. CCC also plays an important role in bridging the West with the East and vice versa. Please visit www.cccgt.org and CCC Facebook for more information about Chinese Cultural Centre of Greater Toronto.

Denise Yan, Marketing and Communications Manager via denise.yan@cccgt

口罩護社群 抗疫顯同心

文化中心口罩贈予合作夥伴、會員及社區基層

大多倫多中華文化中最近獲多名不願公開姓名的善長捐贈一批外科口罩，以幫助那些前綫醫護英雄和更好保護社區基層，作爲對付新型冠狀病毒大流行的預防措施。

文化中心領導團隊表示：「我們為正在對抗病毒、拯救生命而努力不懈和自我犧牲的醫護專業人員致敬，但必須首先好好保護他們免受感染。因此，文化中心將把大部分口罩捐贈給我們的社區合作夥伴士嘉堡衛生網絡。該網絡急需為其醫護人員提供大量的外科口罩。我們還與貢獻良多的贊助人、義工、會員、長者和社區基層人士分享其中一部分，他們無法找到口罩，以保護自己和摯愛的安全。」

雖然所有人應留在家裏及與人保持距離以保安全，但有些人仍有必要間中出外看病、配藥或購買必須食物等。不少人，尤其是較脆弱和高風險群組如長者，都害怕在沒有口罩的情況下外出。爲了減輕他們的焦慮，文化中心動員青年領袖團爲義工，把600份口罩派送給士嘉堡區内兩座長者大廈所有600個住戶。

這個在艱難時刻安排送贈口罩的行動，獲得異常積極的迴響。一名支持文化中心超過20年的有心人認爲：「最好的投資就在這個社區，我從文化中心獲得了最大的回報。他們向社區展現其關懷，並照顧那些幫助中心的人……在這個緊急時刻，文化中心這種舉措對許多人來説價值超過一桶金。有了這些口罩，我的家人、年長的鄰居、懷孕的朋友和我在美國的兒子都可以受益。」

在送贈口罩時，文化中心準備了簡單説明，指導接收口罩者如何正確使用口罩和保持良好健康習慣。

在不到一周的時間内，文化中心已向70多個群體分發了五千多個口罩。當中包括基層和多元文化社區、婦女和長者、文化中心興趣班和支持者。及後將會收到更多口罩捐贈，會送給士嘉堡衛生網絡。

有關大多倫多中華文化中心

大多倫多中華文化中心為非營利及政治中立的慈善機構，是北美最大的中華文化中心之一，擁有佔地85,000平方呎的自置物業。文化中心服務社區超過30年，在推動和弘揚中華文化擔當領導角色。作爲一個多元族裔的文化樞紐，文化中心積極增進華人與其他族裔之間的了解和尊重，同時幫助新移民融入加拿大社會及培育年輕人為未來的領袖。詳情請瀏覽www.cccgt.org 及中心Facebook 專頁。