Simon Fraser University physics professor Nancy Forde hopes a campus supply drive to collect critically needed personal protective equipment (PPEs) will help protect healthcare workers from COVID-19.

As non-essential lab research has been suspended on campus, Forde took the initiative to organize donations of gloves, face masks and other supplies from faculty across the university. She was inspired by discussions with U.S. colleagues who have been organizing similar donation drives.

“Healthcare workers are putting their lives on the line to help us and we all want to do our part to give back,” says Forde. “If we can donate small items from our labs that aren’t being needed and that can be put to use at this time, that really shows that we’re all pulling together.”

Faculty were encouraged drop off any unused supplies at a bus parked outside Science Receiving on Burnaby campus. Earth Sciences professor and chair Brent Ward says the department offered to supply the bus to store and transport the supplies.

“We’ll do anything we can to help our front-line healthcare workers. We are all going to be depending on them, and they need to stay healthy, or they may not be there when we need them," Ward says.

The donated items included boxes of gloves, disposable lab coats, masks, face shields and cleaning supplies, plus two cases of Girl Guide cookies as a sweet treat for frontline workers. Some of these donations were delivered to Burnaby Hospital this week.