Our COVID-19 Response

By All Hands and Hearts
May 6, 2020

In this truly challenging time, I am thankful the All Hands and Hearts’ community has been engaged, generous and understanding as we navigate uncharted waters.

While we have paused our volunteer-driven, disaster-relief operations, we are continuing work in many critical ways. Below are actions we are taking during the COVID-19 crisis, with a focus on our current efforts in the U.S. and Nepal, as we continue to monitor the situation internationally and determine how we can best support those that need it most.

Spotlight on the U.S. and Nepal

United States

There has been an overwhelming need for personal protective equipment (PPE) in healthcare facilities and for first responders around the nation. And, the situation in New York is dire.

“We have nurses, doctors, respiratory therapists and hospital workers who have been diagnosed with the virus in Suffolk County. This problem is compounded by the shortage of PPE and resources our frontlines desperately need. Our medical workers and first responders are constantly clamoring for gowns, gloves, face masks, earloop masks, and N95 masks to shield themselves from this highly contagious virus.” – Derek Poppe, a spokesman for Suffolk County, NY Executive Steve Bellone

At All Hands and Hearts, we are leveraging our disaster-relief experience, working with stressed supply chains, to procure and deliver critically-needed PPE to hospitals and other first responder facilities that urgently need it, starting with those in Long Island, New York. To date, we have delivered 50,500 KN95 respirators, 15,360 N95 masks, 6,000 face shields, and 251,000 pairs of gloves. In the coming days, we will deliver another 20,000 KN95 respirators and 10,000 hospital gowns.

The significant financial support provided by Lexington Partners and Juhi-Ash Center has been catalytic in inspiring others to generously donate, enabling us to purchase and deliver lifesaving protective equipment.

All Hand and Hearts Our COVID-19 Response

Nepal

Nepal has been under a complete lockdown for nearly two months and, like many other countries, the economy has come to a standstill. Workers in the city, no longer able to afford the city because they lost their jobs, have walked up to 10 days with their children to return to their villages. The pandemic will have a long term impact on Nepal as a majority of Nepalese youth work abroad to sustain the needs of their families through remittance, accounting for nearly 30% of the country’s GDP. They have now lost or will be losing their jobs, and will have to return to Nepal unemployed.

If there is a widespread outbreak, the healthcare system in Nepal does not have the resources required to take care of an influx of patients. To reduce the spread of COVID-19, the government is working to establish a quarantine center in each district. As our first action, from our disaster relief program base, we donated beds required for a new 50-person quarantine unit in Sindhuli as well as emergency food supplies and cleaning supplies for the unit. This measure will help strengthen the region’s capacity to respond to the health crisis.

“Nepalese people are known to be resilient. If you’ve ever been to Nepal, you must remember being greeted with a wide smile followed by a namaste. Five years ago, we were hit by two major earthquakes and the reconstruction has not yet been completed. The resilience of the Nepalese people is being tested again by the pandemic.” – Aakash Khadka, All Hands and Hearts

To reduce the impact of COVID-19 in the community, we need your support to protect people who are vulnerable and at risk and keep essential medical services running. By making a donation, you will enable All Hands and Hearts, in coordination with local partners, to provide emergency food supplies and hygiene kits (mask, soap and sanitizer) to families and medical equipment to health facilities.