Winnipeg’s Bear Clan Patrol is receiving up to a million three-layer masks to give out during its regular patrols of inner-city communities as the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic continues.
Maple Medical and Exchange PPE have teamed up to donate the masks to the patrol, which has been deemed an essential service.
Exchange PPE is a local, Indigenous-owned company, and its president, Josh Giesbrecht, said that cultural background played a big role in the decision to get involved.
“Indigenous people have a strong value in sharing during times of need,” Giesbrecht said.
“We greatly appreciate the opportunity to work with Maple Medical in making quality masks available to those in need by this donation to the Bear Clan.”
The Bear Clan’s volunteers are actively working to safely dispose of used needles, deliver food hampers, and provide safety, and board chair Shaneen Robinson-Desjarlais said the addition of mask distribution to the group’s duties will be a much-needed help to the communities it serves.
“This donation will help us provide quality masks to our people who may not otherwise have access,” she said.
“It will go a long way in helping so many.”