Integro Foundation joins effort to raise $1M, donate 200K masks in Puerto Rico
Integro Foundation, a nonprofit organization established on the island in 2015, collaborated with Binance Charity to raise $1M and donate 200,000 KN-95 masks in Puerto Rico as part of the “Crypto Against COVID-19 Campaign.”
A total of 500,000 masks are being donated to Brazil, Brazilian Amazon, South Africa, Bermuda, Barbados, St. Lucia, Dominican Republic, and Navajo Nations, with 200,000 of them destined for Puerto Rico.
Integro Foundation partnered with Fundación Stefano Steenbakkers For the COVID-19 relief initiative on the island, in an effort to distribute the masks and food boxes to frontline workers and the vulnerable population at risk and without access to this life-saving PPE during the pandemic.
Stefano Foundation has been supporting Integro Foundation with storage, performing the organization and setup of the masks for distribution, and coordinating the distribution logistics of the masks island wide through their well-established network in this collaborative effort.
“Binance Charity is a global large-scale organization that relies on digital currency donations. We’re very grateful that they have partnered with Integro Foundation to turn their focus on to Puerto Rico and provide support during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Integro Foundation Chairman Brock Pierce.
“Our goal is to continue to bring more donations and relief efforts to the island through these partnerships,” he said.
Since late March, Integro Foundation has been working on the Feed Puerto Rico campaign in partnership with the Puerto Rico Food Bank, who is providing a 1:1 match to funds raised. The organizations have helped feed more than 10,000 families.
“The Mask Campaign is our first donation of this scale. I’m so grateful that through the Mask Campaign and the Feed Puerto Rico Campaign, Integro Foundation is able to support so many communities, protecting them against the spread of COVID-19 and feeding their families, while working with so many amazing local organizations,” said Integro Foundation Executive Director Antares Ramos.
“As we’ve seen these past years in Puerto Rico, grassroots organizations coming together is the key to success to provide relief support to those that need it most,” Ramos said. “Being able to help frontline workers, the elderly, patients with chronic diseases, the homeless and communities that have not received help is truly a blessing.”
Zorimar Betancourt, founder and executive director of Fundación Stefano Steenbakkers, said “Our team at the Foundation has been continuously working to help those in need and we know there’s many people working in the emergency with very limited or no access to masks in PR, including Vieques and Culebra.”
“We want the COVID-19 emergency frontline workers such as policemen, paramedics, medical professionals and students, nurses and forefront organizations in need to know that we’re here for them and that they can contact us to coordinate receiving the KN-95 masks donated by Integro, as well as food boxes,” she added.
Several dozen local organizations have received mask donations.
