AUSTIN, TX — An Austin nonprofit will spearhead the distribution of more than 500 masks for homeless people to help the disenfranchised members of society protect themselves from the coronavirus, officials said.
Homeless people have suffered amid the respiratory illness pandemic on top the challenges of their daily lives on the streets, officials of the nonprofit Hearing the Homeless group wrote in an emailed advisory. To help ease the unexpected challenge of navigating around respiratory illness, the group has teamed up with HALO Life, a maker of high-quality, high-tech reusable masks for homeless people across the city to wear, officials said.
Hearing the Homeless describes its mission as one bringing homeless individuals’ stories to life in an effort to humanize them and raise attention to their needs. The new needs requiring protective face coverings will be dramatically illustrated during distribution of the 500-plus masks at the Angel House Soup Kitchen/Austin Baptist Chapel, 908 E. Cesar Chavez St., on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
As they line up for meals, homeless residents and their families will be shown how to assemble the masks in inserting the filter while instructed on how to wear the protective face coverings, officials said. For good measure, live music, art and festivities will be featured to make the current challenges of a new reality more palatable — providing nourishment for the soul as homeless people satisfy their hunger pangs with free meals made just for them.
ABOUT HEARING THE HOMELESS
HTH is an Austin-based nonprofit that works with homeless individuals on a one-on-one basis to capture and share their stories. Hearing the Homeless works to humanize homeless people and build a community of support around them. The organization’s ultimate goal is to foster positive relationships and provide access to life changing resources.
ABOUT HALO LIFE
HALO Life, based in Santa Rosa, California, sets a global standard with its HALO masks. The company’s mission is to provide innovative, high quality products that protect people from the challenges of our modern environment. The HALO mask’s proprietary SETA™ Nanofilters capture virtually all airborne pathogens and pollutants. HALO Life also gives back: for every order, the company will donate one mask to a nonprofit that serves frontline workers and the homeless, including Hearing the Homeless. Visit https://halolife.io/ for additional information
This article originally appeared on the Austin Patch
