How it all started?
In early March of 2020, I started my quest. I had a flourishing company manufacturing prom dresses and ball gowns before the pandemic struck. When the lockdown began, my company ground to a grinding halt.
When the CDC released a study stating that a three-layer cotton face mask was the strongest protection against the spread of Covid 19, I was sitting on 250 yards of cotton cloth. Ball gown underskirts are made of cotton. Cotton was in short supply, but there was a wild rush for it. The clothes shops were all shut down.
This is when I choose to step up. I made and distributed 2500 three-layer face masks, which I gave away for free to anybody who would take them. I concentrated on my hometown and Chicago’s Breakthrough Urban Ministry. Breakthrough is a non-profit organization that helps those who are homeless.
I met a lady and her family from Roseland when I was giving out masks. Roseland is 17 miles from Lansing, Illinois, where I grew up.
I was completely taken aback by her response to getting a free mask for her and her relatives.
She burst into tears as she told me a heartbreaking tale about the poverty of her neighborhood. She said that over 1000 people had died and that no one wore masks. It’s amazing how many people can’t afford one. She requested my assistance. If only there was anything I could do.
After doing some analysis, I discovered that her story was completely real. I spoke of Roseland’s race protests and social disparities. I discovered that the city of Chicago had held a mask giveaway in Roseland that was entirely televised, only to discover that the giveaway lasted only one hour, considering the fact that thousands of people turned up to get a mask. They broadcast the long line and looped it for three days, ostensibly meeting a common desire. It was just a charade.
In fact, the need is still there, and the death toll is rising.
I started a fundraiser to provide Roseland with masks because my supply of cotton and filter materials was running low, and I had no income for 2020. About the fact that the fundraiser has sparked little enthusiasm in the past, I have been able to provide Roseland with a small number of masks.
Due to the risks associated with giving out masks in person. I want to provide masks for people who have enrolled to vote. The names and addresses are available to the media, and the overwhelming majority of Roseland’s 67,000 inhabitants are eligible to vote.
In the next three months, my business will make another 2,500 masks, and if my fundraiser is a success, I expect to buy additional three-layer reusable face masks on the open market to satisfy as many needs as possible.
Why Auringa Moves Matter
Roseland has a long history. In 1947, the light was switched to dark. It was formerly a Dutch community, but after WWII, the City of Chicago intervened and constructed Veteran Housing in Roseland, sparking one of the worst race riots in US history, which lasted nine days. They had to call in 1,000 new cops, but they didn’t bring them in for the first three days, because they were left on their own. Many black community members on the periphery attempted to assist, but this resulted in the closure of shops, shops, and businesses, unable to be replaced, as well as the eviction of many households, creating a plethora of empty homes. Those first families that we’re able to hold their ground. Roseland is now made up of senior citizens who adopt them, with all of them losing their caregivers by COVID-19.
Roseland foster children make up the overwhelming majority of those in treatment; they are overcrowded as part of a community-wide initiative to care for them. Roseland had become especially hard hit at the start of the pandemic, and by August, there had been over 1,000 fatalities and counting.
How Can You Help Auringa’s Move?
Auringa, who resides in Lansing, about 17 miles from Roseland, is dedicated to assisting the whole city. She set a target of raising $30,000 by April 26th, 2021, and she has already raised nearly half of that amount, despite her online campaign failing to gain traction. She has used her mouth, and many who have learned about Roseland’s plight have reached into their wallets to give funds her way. She intends to MAIL the mask to all registered voters in the 60628 zip code, in the hopes that this will aid in the rapid spread of COVID-19 in that region.
You can find her fundraiser at www.fundrazr.com/AurigaVeiga
