Huskies Helping the Local Community
BLOOMSBURG – With over 160 COVID-19 cases in Columbia County, Bloomsburg University continues to help the community during the pandemic.
BU Director of Media Relations and Content Strategy, Tom McGuire, said BU donated personal protective equipment to Geisinger Bloomsburg Hospital.
BU donated 3,700 soft tie surgical masks, 28 fluid-resistant surgical face masks, 1,184 N95 respirators, 300 isolation gowns, 15 disposable gowns, 50 Tyvek coveralls, over 150 clear face shields, 60 visors, and 14 three-piece face masks, said McGuire.
BU student Ashley Waldraff said it’s amazing that BU is helping the community.
“It makes me proud to be a Husky,” said Waldraff via text.
According to an article from PA Homepage “Geisinger Health System says it had an adequate supply of PPE right from the start but it could not refuse the offer of a local university that wanted to help keep it that way.”
BU is creating 3D masks. Leading the task is Dr. Carolyn LaMacchia and Zeigler College of Business Dean, Dr. Todd Shawver, said McGuire.
“We will have constructed approximately 100 face shields by the end of this week,” said McGuire.
LaMacchia spoke to Eyewitness News about the project.
“I know that we have a crisis and we were very excited to give back…Our 3D printing equipment is already used to address humanitarian needs,” said LaMacchia.
BU’s nursing department and department chair Susan Fetterman donated to Geisinger Bloomsburg and Evangelical Hospital, said McGuire.
The nursing department donated roughly 60 N95 masks, 10 face shields, and over 100 sterile gloves to each facility.
Fetterman personally donated 14 boxes of sterile gloves to Geisinger Bloomsburg and Geisinger Medical Center in Danville.
BU Nursing student Erin Cleary didn’t know the nursing department donated their supplies.
“I’m glad that they donated them because now that all of our classes are online it’s not like we need them,” said Cleary via text.
BU is also helping outside of the local health services community.
According to the BU Police Department Facebook page, 26 students who are still living on campus received Weis gift card care packages from BUPD. These provided both funds for groceries and “[let] them know that someone is thinking about them.”
McGuire said people on campus have donated to the Bloomsburg Food Cupboard.
“The university continues to look for ways in which we can assist the community,” said McGuire.
