Save this article to read it later.
Find this story in your accountsSaved for Latersection.
She wanted to donate them, but there didnt seem to be a way to do that.
Simon-Alexander had been watching stories about dwindling medical supplies and the ad hoc attempts to address them, too.
But cloth masks arent a substitute for medical-grade masks theyre a last-ditch solution.
Members of the LISTSERV descended into brainstorming mode, with emails flying back and forth by the dozens.
The feedback started rolling in.
Some hospitals were sticking to strict rules about what donated gear they could accept.
But others were more desperate.
I am not trying to find hospital-approved gear, one frontline worker wrote.
We are beyond that.
Im trying to find survival gear that keeps us working and not sick.
Within a few hours, Simon-Alexander had designed aGoogle formwhere donors can list detailed inventories and contact information.
Frontline workers can then review that list and contact donors.
Someones husband tossed out a name for the effort: the Mask Crusaders.
The Google form went live the next morning.
The entire operation is fly-by-night, especially on the recipients side.
Regulations and liability would come into play.
I dont want to downplay that.
She points out that the Mask Crusaders supplies will run out at some point, too.
We cant mutual-aid our way out of this entirely.
At some point, the government is going to have to step up.
