Chloe Jeon
June definitely flew by this year. We were all over the place, trying to get donations here and donations there, and bam! Now it’s July. But as quickly as it came and went, I still feel that we got a lot done and tried a lot of new things. Since EBPPE was founded, we’ve stuck with the familiar: reach out to a facility, arrange a date to meet up, give them PPE, repeat. Now, all that was great, and we were able to get so much PPE to so many facilities, but in June, we tried something different. Something bigger. By collaborating with Creating New Hope, Ombudsman Services, and other organizations in a PPE drive, we were able to collect so much PPE and reach so many organizations in such little time, while also meeting others who are, like us, passionate about helping the community. Oddly enough, my favorite part was packing the PPE into bags. The anticipation that people would be coming to receive the very same PPE I was holding in my hands and the idea that my actions would be able to save lives filled me with an indescribable feeling that motivated me to keep going. And in the end, it was definitely worth it. Although we were unable to put together a virtual concert, I am glad we were able to put so much effort and focus into distributing PPE and doing what we could to help those afflicted by COVID-19.
Andrew Choi
As COVID-19 continued, we continued reaching out to different hospices in different areas, as well as places where we have already donated to. We visited Parkview in Pleasanton again to donate more PPEs, as well as Hope Hospice, a center in Dublin. Furthermore, this month was the first time that EBPPE partnered with another organization to collect and distribute PPEs. Together with Creating New Hope, we packed PPEs together in packages and distributed them to facilities in Alameda County through a drive-thru event. As always, the facilities and centers we donated to this month were always very appreciative and I was glad that we were able to donate to new locations and expand our reach to different parts of the county. Although we weren’t able to put together a virtual concert this month, I still feel that we made an impact with our donations and time packing equipment for distribution. In the future, hopefully we can continue to partner with organizations and help more centers and facilities, while also finding the time to put together a virtual concert.
Erin Yang
June was a pretty busy month! We donated to a lot of different places and unfortunately were too busy to put together a benefit concert. However, I think we reached a few important milestones in terms of donating; we’ve donated over 1000 disposable masks and are only 50 away from 1500 as well as over 250 reusable masks and 100 ear adjusters. This month we actually collaborated with Creating New Hope during their PPE drive and we went there early in the morning to pack PPE. It felt genuine and heartwarming knowing that our donations and contributions could actually save lives, especially as we could hand the PPE to the recipients themselves. I actually enjoyed the process of packing the PPE much more than I would have imagined; I think it felt fun because it was somewhat akin to real work that makes an impact, which I have very limited experience in. The wonderful realization that we were actually making a difference really hit when we could see smiling faces through tinted car windows, when we would pack extra masks in each bag (because why not! We have the PPE to spare!), when we would send them off with a wave and a big grin. And seeing our contact’s grateful thanks is always a pleasure, but I just felt that appreciation even more when we could put the PPE that we worked hard to acquire/make directly into their hands.
Ella Jeon
While we were unable to post a virtual concert, we did get to donate PPE many different groups. It felt great to see their reactions, and made me feel happy knowing we were able to help people who were in need of such equipment. I feel that their gratefulness and appreciation really reached us, and also motivated us to continue with our cause. Moreover, another highlight of this month was being able to work with Creating New Hope, and join them during the PPE distribution down in Dublin. With safety precautions, we spent much time together, arranging many, many bags of masks, gloves, and other equipment, and spending the last hours passing them out to other organizations in the form of a drive-thru. I particularly enjoyed this experience, since it truly felt like an atmosphere filled with teamwork, as we all worked together to organize life-saving equipment for others. Even though most of us working there had never met each other before, we quickly became friendly and familiar with each other, as we shared the same purpose and cooperated nicely to service our community. In this sense, it occurred to me that while COVID-19 has undoubtedly brought many hardships and loss, looking on the bright side, it has brought us all together, as people all around the globe work to fight against the virus.
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