National Domestic Workers Alliance Partners With Designed By Us To Provide Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) In The Fight Against Coronavirus
Collaboration Aims to Create and Distribute Free Face Masks to Domestic Workers Across U.S.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 17, 2020
Contact: Zameena Mejia, press@domesticworkers.org
Contact: Leah Bickley, press@designedbyus.org
November 17, 2020, New York, NY — As cities across the United States experience a surge in coronavirus cases, the National Domestic Workers Alliance today announced a new partnership with Designed By Us to provide eco-friendly Essential 3D Face shields, Breathe 3D respirator masks and 3L Designer, hypoallergenic face masks that provide up to 95% filtration and protection to 10,000 domestic workers. Nearly 2.5 million domestic workers across the United States continue to work on the frontlines during the pandemic, caring for the most vulnerable. With over 11 million confirmed cases of coronavirus across the country, there is still a pressing need to provide personal protective equipment to essential workers.
“Across the country, house cleaners, homecare workers, and nannies have often paid out-of-pocket for PPE to ensure their own safety on the job. Thanks to our new partnership with Designed By Us, thousands of domestic workers will be able to access free masks and better protect themselves from coronavirus when returning to work,” said Ai-jen Poo, executive director of the National Domestic Workers Alliance.
Designed By Us’ 100M Mask Mayday studio program is providing the masks to any domestic worker who needs PPE, whether or not they are a member of NDWA and will cover shipping costs.
“As a Design Fellow and great-granddaughter of a house cleaner and domestic worker, I led the Design Corps to design sustainable personal protection equipment (PPE) for millions of people at risk of contracting COVID-19. The Breathe3D respirator and 3-Layer designer masks will give every domestic worker high tech, quality PPE with 95% filtration,” said Joanna Peña-Bickley, founder & design fellow of Designed By Us. “We could not be more pleased to partner with the National Domestic Workers Alliance to improve human centric health outcomes, save the lives and ignite economic empowerment of domestic professionals on the front lines of this pandemic by design.”
About National Domestic Workers Alliance
National Domestic Workers Alliance (NDWA) is the leading voice for dignity and fairness for millions of domestic workers in the United States. Founded in 2007, NDWA works for respect, recognition and inclusion in labor protections for domestic workers, the majority of whom are immigrants and women of color. NDWA is powered by over 60 affiliate organizations and local chapters and by a growing membership base of nannies, house cleaners and care workers in over 20 states. NDWA has created Alia, an online platform to help domestic workers access benefits, not otherwise granted to them, in addition to proposing a National Domestic Workers Bill of Rights with Senator Kamala Harris and Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal.
About Designed By Us, Inc.
Designed By Us™ is on a mission to close the gender gap in S.T.E.A.M.D. science, technology, engineering, arts, math and design. The Design By Us™ Design Corps is a non-partisan, participatory public service design and civic technology practice that aims to build the world’s largest purpose-driven pipeline of inventors, designers, engineers and leaders with 21st century S.T.E.A.M.D. skills and network of global workforce sponsors by 2050. The Design By Us™ Design Corps invites LatinX, Black, LGBTQIA+, Indigenous, Filipino, Indian, Asian, Women, Disabled, Homeless and Veterans to embark on a one of a kind learning and leadership journey that designed to up-skill members for S.T.E.A.M.D. careers by engaging in studio programs, community driven solutions, to ecological, economic, and social challenges across the globe. The 100M Mask Mayday is just one of the Studio Programs that strives to protect 100M people with inventive, eco-friendly personal protective equipment, reduces the spread of COVID-19, decreases PPE pollution and increases the availability of PPE to essential professionals across the globe.
Partnership Social Media Tool Kit
Design By Us Design Corps welcomes the National Domestic Workers Alliance to the #MaskUp Collective: When you buy 1 mask we donate 2 to Essential Domestic Workers. https://bit.ly/2KgzuTY #EssentialPros
#MaskUp Collective: When you buy 1 mask we donate 2 to to National Domestic Workers Alliance. https://bit.ly/2KgzuTY
Design By Us Design Corps welcomes the National Domestic Workers Alliance to the #MaskUp Collective: When you buy 1 mask we donate 2 to Essential Domestic Workers. https://bit.ly/2KgzuTY #EssentialPros
#ProtectedWeRise: When you buy 1 mask we donate 2 to to National Domestic Workers Alliance. https://bit.ly/2KgzuTY #EssentialPros
