In support of the large scale testing being administered by Community Organized Relief Effort, CORE, an international humanitarian relief organization co-founded by actor Sean Penn, BAPS Charities donated 690 N95 masks, 10,000 nitrile gloves, and 4,700 packaged snacks and beverages on May 29, 2020. CORE, in collaboration with the Los Angeles Fire Department, the City of Los Angeles and LA Mayor Eric Garcetti, is operating many COVID-19 testing sites throughout the city, including one at Dodger Stadium, which is currently the largest testing site in the country. Currently, the site at the stadium alone is equipped to administer 6,000 tests a day and is conducted by over 50 volunteers and staff.
Shawn Lenske, a firefighter who also serves as the Los Angeles Fire Department’s Public Information Officer joined BAPS Charities for the donation. He commented, “This pandemic has opened the eyes of everyone in this city and around the world. We’ve seen where we were deficient and we’ve grown! Not only as an organization, but also as a city, and a nation. We absolutely could not do the work we do without donations from organizations like BAPS Charities.”
Bao Le, who handles the base of operations for CORE in Los Angeles, shared his gratitude. “We have a lot of volunteers and staff working all day in the sun from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm every day. These snacks, bottles of Gatorade, water and supplies may not seem like a lot but they go a long way to boost morale for our staff and volunteers. I can’t really express how thankful I am for your donation.”
CORE is operating testing sites not only in Los Angeles but also in Chicago, Atlanta, New Orleans and New York City. As COVID-19 cases continue to rise in the Chicago Area. BAPS Charities also donated 10,000 nitrile gloves and 1,500 manufactured cloth masks to CORE for its testing sites in the Chicago area.
BAPS Charities appreciates the efforts of CORE, the Los Angeles Fire Department and Mayor Eric Garcetti for their efforts in keeping Los Angeles safe and healthy. In response to the global pandemic, BAPS Charities created the COVID-19 Relief Fund to support these initiatives. To learn more or contribute to the fund please visit https://www.bapscharities.org/covid-19/
