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MARLBOROUGH – Web Industries Inc., a precision formatter of flexible materials and a contract manufacturer, has donated 500 reusable fabric masks to Mental Health Association Inc. (MHA), a nonprofit organization based in Springfield, which provides 24/7 residential care and person-centric services for individuals challenged by developmental disabilities, brain injury, mental health, homelessness and substance use.
MHA care providers and staff are essential workers who cannot work remotely and are in close contact with the people they serve.
According to MHA’s Kimberley A. Lee, vice president, resource development & branding, MHA workers have been required to wear masks on duty since the pandemic began, usually paper masks that were discarded after every shift.
An article in a local publication alerted Lee to Web Industries. She reached out and was put in touch with Web’s Vice President of Corporate Development & Medical Kevin Young. After learning about MHA’s mission, Young quickly sent a shipment of 500 washable, reusable fabric masks to the organization.
“When the masks arrived, we were impressed with their design, comfortable fit and cutouts to accommodate different sizes,” said MHA’s Lee. “I was the first to wear one to a meeting, and as soon as the meeting ended, there was a line of staff members outside our supply room waiting for their new masks.”
Lee said the masks are extremely lightweight and breathable compared to the disposable masks. Also, because the masks are washable, they can be used multiple times.
“There are always challenges involved in operating a nonprofit, but the COVID-19 pandemic has added to these challenges by orders of magnitude,” said Lee. “This generous gift of masks from Web Industries provides mission-critical personal protective equipment for our employees at a time when it’s difficult to source PPE, let alone pay for it. We are extremely grateful.”
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“This seemed a perfect opportunity to help out an organization and a group of caregivers that perform essential work in the community,” said Web’s Kevin Young. “As a U.S.-based contract manufacturer with expertise in converting flexible materials of all kinds, Web finds itself well positioned to support the demand for PPE products like masks and for test strips to help fight the pandemic.”
The donation to MHA comes amid Web’s shift in manufacturing to increased production of PPE-related products and LFI (lateral flow immunoassay) COVID-19 test devices. Web recently announced a multi-million dollar equipment investment at its Holliston, Lateral Flow Diagnostics Center.
Web projects production of 1 million LFI tests per week by the first week of September and 2 million tests per week by January 2021.
The company is in the process of hiring 125 new employees at Holliston, including bio scientists, engineering personnel, equipment operators, quality assurance, administrative personnel and purchasing specialists.
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Photo & release submitted to SOURCE media
Photo shows MHA personnel wearing face masks provided by Marlborough-Mass.-based Web Industries.
MetroWest Medical Center