ST. LOUIS – In partnership with FUSE Advertising and the Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Incorporated, the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis has acquired to 10 million masks that will be distributed to minority communities in the area lacking PPE resources.
A press conference was held at the Urban League Regional Center at 1408 N. Kingshighway on Thursday to announce the partnership and update the community on progress that has been made. Urban League has held 27 mass distribution events and has already given out half a million masks. Every last Saturday of the month, from noon to 3 p.m., they will host a mass distribution event to continue the circulation of masks throughout the community.
Clifford Franklin, CEO of FUSE Advertising located in Downtown St. Louis, says the $2.2 million project came together after finalizing a logistics system with his partners at Global Specialty Services based in Dallas.
“The number one Urban League affiliate is St. Louis, Mike’s our friend, it’s just natural for us to partner with him because we know he could get it to the people who need it the most,” Franklin said.
Once a plan of infrastructure is in place in St. Louis they plan to expand the mask project nationwide. Urban League’s head of Division of Public Safety James Clark says this pandemic is not going anywhere anytime soon, and the best-known weapon to fight the war against COVID are masks and other PPE items.
“We do not want to warehouse these masks,” he said. “These masks serve one purpose: save lives. We got to get them out.”
The Urban League will not only continue the distribution of masks through mass events but through grassroots door-to-door campaigns, partnerships with local businesses and community churches, and direct family services.
