In the past week, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf announced the creation of an online portal, developed to meet the growing need for personal protective equipment (PPE) due to the coronavirus pandemic. The “Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Critical Medical Supplies Procurement Portal” or “The Portal” lists PPE as one of the most needed resources by those working on the front lines of the outbreak. 

Hearing about this need for more supplies from the news and from family members, some of whom are working on the front lines, Elizabeth McCall ’08, adjunct professor of classics at St. Joe’s, and her husband started an informal drive. 

“Hearing their fear and hearing what they needed, it kind of came to light to us, ” McCall said. “Not only did they need these N95 masks, but they also needed medical supplies of all sorts. Knowing that both of our jobs deal with people who might have access to these supplies, we just started to reach out.” 

McCall reached out to Shaily Menon, Ph.D., dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, about gathering donations from St. Joe’s. Menon then contacted Brian Forster, Ph.D., St. Joe’s chemical hygiene officer, who coordinated with the biology and chemistry departments to see what was available to donate. 

“One of the challenges was that we have our biodiversity lab and our vivarium’s still in operation,” Forster said. “We still have to keep some of our PPE to make sure those labs are running, but whatever extra we had available we donated.” 

The departments gathered the most important and essential supplies that would prevent spread of the virus, including gloves, goggles and surgical masks.

“Our doctors and nurses who need to treat people who have or [are] suspected to have COVID-19 need to have these materials just like the researchers and doctors trying to come up with new tests and available treatments need to have their resources,” Forster said. 

Under Forster’s direction, supplies were gathered from both the St. Joe’s biology and chemistry departments. The donation included: 32 boxes of gloves, four boxes of face masks (note boxes contain multiple masks), six boxes of goggles (note boxes contain multiple goggles), five gallon bottle of Bacdown soap, two bags of booties (each with multiple pairs in them) and approximately 30 disposable lab coats. 

According to McCall, part of the supplies donated by St. Joe’s went to the Lower Merion Police Department and Narberth Ambulance. The rest of the donated supplies went to Philadelphia’s Office of Emergency Management, where they will be given to Philadelphia hospitals and first responders.

The Lower Merion Police Department posted on their Facebook page thanking St. Joe’s for the donation:

“A very appreciative THANK YOU to St. Joseph’s University who generously donated supplies to #LMPD. This donation of gloves, goggles, masks and cleaning supplies help keep our officers safe, therefore keeping our residents safe as well. #GoHawks”

McCall noted that Capt. Frank Thomas of Lower Merion Police Department and his department were grateful for anything they could get their hands on and receiving such in demand supplies. 

“It was really wonderful what St. Joe’s is able to do and is willing to do,” McCall said. “This sort of resoundingly positive response to do whatever we can do to help; it makes me proud to be part of that.” 

Forster remains certain that COVID-19 will be combated by making sure all the responsible people, the emergency and first responders, have the materials they need.

“Right now we don’t need these resources, they do,” Forster said. “That is why we should be donating to them.”