Kingston RN working to get N95 masks to vulnerable populations
Global News
Kingston registered nurse Deb Lefebvre has started a GoFundMe account to purchase N95 masks to distribute to vulnerable populations.
A registered nurse from the Kingston, Ont., region is working to help put quality COVID-19 masks into the hands of those who can least afford them.
It was about mid-December as the Omicron variant was becoming the dominant coronavirus train in Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington that Deb Lefebvre started a GoFundMe account to purchase N95 masks to distribute to vulnerable populations.
“The initiative came out of extreme need,” said Lefebvre, referring to a presentation she gave to a local school board last fall about the importance of N95 masks.
“It was very clear to me the public – the general public – did not understand that COVID is airborne, and I have been following the science and the evidence on it and know that N95 respirators are the only defence that we can apply to our face that filters the air that we breathe in and out.”
Working with the president and CEO of the United Way of KFL&A Bhavana Varma, Lefebvre has been able to connect with a number of local agencies that work with vulnerable and marginalized populations.
“They all need N95s, so as the money comes in we send them out,” said Lefebvre.
She says they’ve managed to distribute several thousand masks to a number of organizations like Lionhearts, the Integrated Care Hub, and Addictions and Mental Health Services.
Along with providing better protection than surgical masks, N95s are reusable, according to Lefebvre.
Two closely linked First Nations are taking different paths as Ontario pushes ahead with Ring of Fire roads and mining in a region reshaped by climate change and geopolitics.
It's another day of teeth-chattering cold across much of the Prairies today as temperatures are forecast to reach frostbite-risk levels.
According to CMHC's annual rental market report, Kelowna's vacancy rate is now sitting at 6.4 per cent, up significantly from 3.8 per cent last year.
Alberta's early-learning and child-care fees will remain at $15-a-day through to 2027 as the province works with Ottawa to firm up a more permanent deal.
The six new Global 6500 jets will replace the Air Force's remaining Challenger aircraft, which are used to shuttle around VIPs like the prime minister and Governor General.
The Canadian Airline Dispatchers Association said Wednesday that 100 per cent of its 36 Porter members have voted in favour of strike action.
An Ontario MP’s floor crossing ahead of holiday break gives Pierre Poilievre no time to rally the Conservative caucus until late January.
Steve MacKinnon said the group tiring of Pierre Poilievre's 'obstructionist' approach is 'sizable' but wouldn't speculate on whether any more of them will cross the floor.
An independent review into how Fredericton police conduct major crime investigations has found 'limitations' in how the force deals with complex cases.
Canadian apparel brand Lululemon reported quarterly earnings that showed sales dropped in North America as many Canadians grapple with the high cost of living.
An Ontario lawyer allegedly involved in a violent transnational drug ring headed by a Canadian Olympian would be at risk if he was granted bail, Crown attorneys say.
Lawyers representing the family of a Longueuil, Que., teen who was shot dead by police say they are shocked by allegations of police interference.
The province was responding to a Global News report that all 14 extortion suspects sent for deportation hearings had filed refugee claims.