The UCLA Newsroom recently detailed the serious impacts of coronavirus felt across Los Angeles County. As a small business in El Segundo, we care about how our community has been affected by the worldwide pandemic, and most concerning are the long-term setbacks to school aged children by being not being in school.
“Three-quarters of parents (76%) with school-age children felt their kids had been substantially hurt, either academically or socially by pandemic-related distance learning and quarantine experiences.” (UCLA). “The disproportionate impact of COVID-19 and associated disparities among Hispanic, non-Hispanic Black, and non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native children and teenagers has been documented. Reducing these disparities along with overcoming unintended negative consequences of the pandemic, such as the disruption of in-person schooling, calls for broad community-based collaborations and nuanced approaches.” (CDC). According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, “Disparities in school funding, quality of school facilities, educational staffing, and resources for enriching curricula among schools have been exacerbated by the pandemic. Families rely on schools to provide a safe, stimulating, and enriching space for children to learn; appropriate supervision of children; opportunities for socialization; and access to school-based mental, physical, and nutritional health services.”
As we learned the impact to underserved communities by school closings, we wanted to do everything we could to support school reopening. We asked LAUSD how we can help, and were put in touch with Dr. Gretchen Young, Principal at Madison Elementary School in South Gate, CA. Dr. Young told us that her school needed sanitizing wipes to safely conduct in person learning, As a supplier of nitrile gloves, PPE, and laboratory equipment, Advetage Solutions heard their needs and quickly pivoted to procure and supply sanitizing wipes to replenish their supplies. Reopening schools safely requires having a COVID-19 plan that, according to the CDC “reduces the risk of exposure to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, by cleaning and disinfection”. Cleaning has become integrated into school’s daily plans, and schools desperately need replenishment of sanitizing wipes and disinfectants.
Dr. Young coopted other elementary schools in need and began coordinating logistics for a delivery.
We’re proud to say that just last week, Advetage Solutions donated essential supplies to 5 elementary schools in the city, including Madison Elementary, Stanford Elementary, Stanford Primary Center, Montara Elementary, and Willow Elementary. We delivered over 100,000 sanitizing wipes to the 5 schools, on 7 pallets, weighing approximately 4.25 TONS!
We’d like to thank Dr. Gretchen Young for coordinating the effort and Robert Benitez for facilitating the distribution of supplies so our schools can reopen safely. We cherish our community, and we’re thankful for the opportunity to support educators and kids who benefit from being back in school.
Learn more about Madison Elementary at https://madison-lausd-ca.schoolloop.com/
See more at https://www.instagram.com/madison.lausd/?hl=en
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