One day drive provides masks, medical kits to at-risk Jackson residents

In west Jackson, volunteers from a number of local groups quickly fill back seats with cardboard boxes housing medical supplies: dozens of face masks, large hand sanitizer bottles and disposable car protective kits. 

The one day drive was part of a collaborative effort between the Bee Inspired Foundation, Jackson Medical Mall and United Way of the Capital Area. Kenitra Wallace, Vice President of Community Impact with the United Way, says the drive was made possible by a large donation made to the United Way. 

“We know that during the wintertime, a lot of viruses and other illnesses start to spread. So we’ve been really cognizant since Covid-19 of how we can play a part in helping the community stay safe. And we’ve received a huge donation of about 52 pallets to achieve that,” she said. 

Wallace and others say they’re particularly worried about how at-risk residents could be impacted by the spread of winter illnesses, especially in families who gather in large numbers during the holidays.

She says distributing in this way helps caregivers break through barriers to accessing medical supplies faced by at-risk individuals, such as transportation or cost. 

“This is one of the reasons we wanted to partner with the Jackson Medical Mall. There are a lot of health agencies that are right here in the mall that service elderly people who may not ordinarily have access, and we’ve called churches, healthcare agencies and daycare centers,” she said. 

“We’re calling people that work with these populations of people to come and bring their vans and trucks – even for people who have elderly neighbors – and we’re loading their vehicles up to make sure they’re able to distribute to those who would not otherwise be able to come.” 

According to the state Department of Health, Mississippi reported 78 new Covid-19 hospitalizations over the last week. The state has also seen a steady rise in influenza-like illnesses over the past 4 weeks.