Steven Odzer: How a New York Yeshiva Raised Funds and Helped Distribute Protective Gear to Those Who Needed It the Most
Steven Odzer discusses how one New York yeshiva has helped curb the impact of COVID-19 by finding ways to get protective gear to the medical professionals who need it.
There are a lot of people and organizations trying to do what they can to make a difference during these trying times. The coronavirus has caused a lot of harm on a variety of levels, and the medical personnel on the front line tasked with handling patients who may be infected by this virus are among the most harmed group of people, especially considering how much time they spend around so many. As a result of this time and work, they have been extremely strapped for necessary medical supplies like masks, hand sanitizer, and others. Steven Odzer explains how a New York yeshiva worked to help these essential workers.
Steven Odzer on the Help on Offer from this New York Yeshiva
Thanks to the leadership of Rabbi Eitan Rubin, the head of the New York yeshiva, a number of valuable masks and bottles of hand sanitizer were able to be distributed to various hospitals, helping prevent them from running out and allowing the medical personnel to not have to reuse items that they really should not. The group delivered the supplies to locations including Mt. Sinai Brooklyn, Maimonides Hospital in Brooklyn, the Long Island Jewish Medical Center, and 14 others. They also made a point of delivering masks to EMTs and nursing homes.
One of the things that spurred this is Steven Odzer himself. Steven Odzer worked with Rubin to find a mutually beneficial arrangement: Odzer wanted to keep his staff employed, but due to a limited supply, he was struggling to do so. So in order to get more supply, Steven Odzer and Rubin helped get both a supply for his janitorial supply company as well as hospitals across New York City. Rubin offered $100,000 in funding to help Rubin’s plan get off of the ground, which Rubin started off with a GoFundMe that, as of April 17, 2020, raised approximately $400,000 out of $2 million. Steven Odzer notes that Rubin likened it to the September 11, 2001 attacks, suggesting that there exists a common desire by New Yorkers to do for others during a time of great crisis. Thanks to Steven Odzer, Rubin was able to supply 10s of thousands of necessary medical items, and he hopes to get even more, especially given how many sick people have been in New York City compared to other US cities. Both Steven Odzer and Rubin want to see the number go down, and one of the best ways to do that is to get the necessary supplies into the right hands, namely the hands of people treating those sick.