WeShield, an organization that helps front-line workers get PPE, has partnered with non-profit association The NYC Hospitality Alliance, which supports restaurants and nightlife establishments throughout the city, to provide a month's supply of PPE to restaurants and their staff throughout New York City.
It's been more than a year since the pandemic hit New York, but even businesses who've survived are still in need of help. Former restauranteurs themselves, WeShield's Erika London and Michael Sinensky are stepping up to meet that need.
"Almost every restaurateur for the past year has been making extremely difficult business decisions and the survival of the city has meant the death of so many small businesses," said Sinensky, who is the Co-Founder of WeShield.
"Our estimates find that the cost of PPE to operate is about $5-10 per employee, per day, which can really add up." he continued. Erika London echoed this statement, "The additional cost of PPE is not something small businesses that are struggling to reopen should be worried about. We're helping small businesses in the fight to reopen our city, because that's what New Yorkers do."
WeShield's PPE packages are well-equipped to keep staff safe. The packages include KN95 masks, 3-ply masks, alcohol wipes, gloves and more.
Executive Director at the NYC Hospitality Alliance Andrew Rigie said in a press release, "I'm grateful to be working with restaurateurs at WeShield on their PPE initiative because they know, first hand, the immense obstacles that these business owners and service industry workers must overcome. New York's volume and diversity of restaurants helps make this city so unique and an ease on PPE supply can go a long way in assisting these establishments recover."
Among the restaurants who've signed up for the initiative are Japanese Restaurant Moonrise Izakaya on the Upper West Side and Blank Slate Coffee & Kitchen, a Cafe in Midtown.
To qualify for the PPE, eligible restaurants can apply at https://buy.weshield.us/nyc-ppe.
