Parts of West Africa are in crisis mode as the Ebola virus spreads through neighborhoods and countries. Like us in Wisconsin, the people most impacted by Ebola value their loved ones’ health and want to live in safe communities. The 2,811 deaths and 55% mortality rate have led the U.S. Center for Disease Control (CDC) to describe this as the worst Ebola outbreak on record. West African governments are fighting Ebola by collaborating with medical experts and training healthcare workers but without immediate, international action the CDC predicts that the epidemic will spiral out of control.

While the Ebola outbreak might seem far from Wisconsin, for our brothers and sisters in Wisconsin’s West African communities it is a significant threat to the families, friends, and cultures that they hold dear. As Ebola ravages Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Guinea, the devastating long-term economic and social impact looms large. To help to combat this, a coalition of Wisconsin communities and organizations invites you to join our campaign, Fighting Ebola, Saving Lives: Our Global Community is in This Together.

The Coalition will host an Ebola Supply Drive on Saturday, November 1 at multiple locations across the metro Milwaukee area to collect only the following much needed items:

Gloves (various sizes)

Hand sanitizer*

Soaps*

Disinfectant wipes & sprays*

Bleach*

Detergent*

Masks

Overalls

Infection control items*

Monetary donations to defray storage & shipping *To meet customs regulations, all supplies must expire after June 2015.

Your donations will save lives in Sierra Leone. One bottle of hand sanitizer and a few pairs of disposable overalls allows one health care worker to safely visit multiple patients during a single day. Your donations will assist healthcare workers, protect families, and keep economies strong in Sierra Leone, one of the hardest-hit countries.

How you can help:

Host a donation drop-off site, or

a donation drop-off site, or Donate the requested items and tell your friends, or

the requested items and tell your friends, or Volunteer to solicit or pick up supplies on October 18

To support this drive, please contact the Fighting Ebola, Saving Lives coalition leaders Liliane McFarlane at 414.732.6591 or Etienne Pourrier 414.335.0291. More information is available at http://milawa.org/projects and donate at www.gofundme/fightingebola.

Your support today will fight Ebola and save lives tomorrow.