Coachella Valley small businesses being given $1 million in PPE for free
The Coachella Valley Economic Partnership (CVEP) provided
Coachella Valley small businesses with more than $1 million in personal
protective equipment (PPE). The program is called the "Million Mask Giveaway" and is made possible by the California Governor's
Office of Emergency Services (CalOES).
CVEP partnered with the nine cities of the Coachella Valley to assist in the distribution of 1,440,000 face masks, 96,000 16.9 oz bottles of hand sanitizers, and 40,400 face shields to eligible Coachella Valley small businesses. “This illusive wonderful thing that helps our nurses, that helps our businesses, that helps people that are operating during this pandemic to protect themselves, to protect their customers or to protect their patients,” said Joe Wallace, CEO and chief innovation officer of CVEP.
Representatives from each city picked up boxes of PPE. “This equipment is so important at such a time because a lot of our small businesses are suffering quite a bit financially,” said Ernesto Gutierrez, the mayor pro tem for Cathedral City. The help went all the way up to Twentynine Palms. “For our businesses it’s really important. We have a lot of small family owned businesses that really need this help,” said Daniel Mintz Sr., the mayor of Twentynine Palms.
Each city that picked up supplies will then distribute the supplies to small businesses in their city that need it the most. “Our chamber of commerce, and of course, through the city and our community development will be able to help us understand who needs it more,” said Jan Harnik, the mayor pro tem for Palm Desert. “We look at it as, hopefully it’s an opportunity to open up business quicker, to keep people safe,” added Harnik.
There is also more PPE being held for Growing Coachella Valley agriculture workers. “This is not what CVEP normally does but everyone has to adapt these days. and our adaption is one that is going to make it less expensive to operate and safer to operate if you’re running a business in the Coachella Valley,” said Wallace.
