Wilkinson Prison Receives PPE from GetUsPPE and Makers for COVID19

The nonprofits donated 42 face shields to the facility

The medical staff at Wilkinson County Correctional Facility (WCCF), Woodville, Miss., was overjoyed to receive the face shields donated recently by GetUsPPE and Makers for COVID-19. Lavern Taylor, medical administrator assistant, left, is displaying the donated items with Jo Lannan, a licensed practical nurse. 

WOODVILLE, Miss. -- The nonprofit group, GetUsPPE (getusppe.org), recently donated 42 face shields to Wilkinson County Correctional Facility (WCCF). The shields will be used by the staff and the facility’s medical department, whose services are provided by Vital Core Health Strategies.

WCCF staff said they are grateful to GetUsPPE and its many volunteers for making this donation possible.

“It was a blessing because it is so hard to get PPE,” said Lavern Taylor, medical administrator assistant. “This was something we didn’t have to hunt down. It came to us and it’s something we can use.”

PPE donated by GetUsPPE and Makers for COVID19

Taylor said it is hard for places like WCCF’s medical department to get the necessary PPE because it is not a hospital. She said the number of face shields is just what was needed.

Jo Lannan, a licensed practical nurse, said the donation showed the thoughtfulness of the volunteers.

“It was so generous of them,” she said. “I’ve used the face shields. They’ve made the nurses’ job a lot better, especially when we speak to the inmates, because they can now see our facial expressions.”

Jo Lannan, a licensed practical nurse at Wilkinson County Correctional Facility (WCCF), assembles the face shield donated by GetUsPPE and Makers for COVID-19. Lannan’s services in the facility’s medical department are provided through Vital Core Health Strategies.

In a letter about the PPE, Brian Malin, who coordinated the delivery, said the donated items included PLA-based plastic 3D Face Shield frames based on the Verkstan six hole and 50 PVC 8 mil plastic shield screens. He included a bundle of ear saver straps for more comfortable facemask wearing over prolonged periods of time.

The face shields were produced by Makers for COVID-19, of which Malin is a part, in collaboration with GetUsPPE.

Malin noted the materials were handled in a safe and protected fashion. He added a note of gratitude: “Thank you to all the medical professionals and healthcare workers who are doing a great service to the community in these challenging times. May this equipment help them continue their work.”

Medical Administrator Assistant Lavern Taylor of Wilkinson County Correctional Facility displays the PPE donated by GetUsPPE and Makers for COVID-19. Taylor’s services in the facility’s medical department are provided through Vital Core Health Strategies.

According to its website, Get Us PPE is considered “the largest national organization getting personal protective equipment (PPE such as masks, gloves, and isolation gowns) to frontline workers who need it most.” Founded in March 2020 by emergency physicians, the organization stepped up to meet an urgent need for PPE. Since its founding, the organization has reportedly provided millions of units of PPE to such places as nursing homes, jails and prisons, homeless shelters, hospitals, and small clinics. A team of more than 200 volunteers are now helping the organization.

 
“As a nonprofit, we obtain PPE via donations and makers, then deliver it to under-resourced facilities at no cost to them,” notes the organization’s website. “Fair and equitable distribution is vital to our mission.”

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ROSCOE BARNES III, Ph.D., is a writer, chaplain, historian, and former newspaper reporter. He is the author of more than a dozen books and Gospel tracts. For more information about his work and history, see his Personal Profile here or visit his website: http://www.roscoebarnes.net. Connect with him on Twitter (@roscoebarnes3) or by email: roscoebarnes3@yahoo.com.