Durham, N.C. – While thousands of face masks already have been distributed this month, Durham County Government is encouraging nonprofits that have not applied for these face coverings to do so promptly.

As of Wednesday, July 15, Durham County had given out or scheduled to distribute more than 87,000 reusable cloth face masks from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to be used primarily for staff and volunteers of local nonprofits serving Durham residents.

“Our nonprofits are on the front lines, providing essential services to the Durham community in this COVID-19 pandemic,” said Drew Cummings, Chief of Staff for Durham County. “We want their staff members and their volunteers to be safe, and we hope all interested not-for-profit organizations will submit their mask requests.”

Nonprofit organizations can complete the mask request form here: http://www.dconc.gov/nonprofitmasks. To view the Spanish translated survey, click the toggle in the upper right corner and select español.

Contactless, drive-through mask distribution events will continue at the Durham Convention Center on select dates through the end of the month. Masks will be available while supplies last.

Once mask requests are received and reviewed, County staff will contact nonprofit representatives with further instructions on scheduling a pickup appointment.

This public-private partnership has been successful thanks to the support of the Triangle Nonprofit & Volunteer Leadership Center, the Durham Convention Center and countless community organizations that have helped spread the word of these free resources. Additionally, County staff at the Library, County Attorney’s Office, Tax Administration, Soil and Water Conservation District, County Manager’s Office and Veterans Services have all signed up to support this effort.

This mask distribution effort supports the Durham and state orders requiring the wearing of face coverings in public in order to limit the spread of COVID-19.

For questions about the nonprofit mask distribution effort, email nonprofitmasks@dconc.gov. For more information about Durham County’s COVID-19 response, visit here.

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