Updated List: PPE, Meals Needed At Chicago-Area Health Centers

CHICAGO, IL — As Illinois residents still test positive for the coronavirus and the pandemic causes plenty of resources, personal protective equipment (PPE) and funds to be used, many employees across the state and Chicago area are in need of more. Because of this, Patch reached out to area hospitals and did some searching in hopes of finding out what each place needs, and how to donate. If you've wondered what you can do to help healthcare workers spending days and nights caring for coronavirus patients, or have voiced your interest in helping, this is your chance.

The following is a list of area hospitals and health centers, what they're in need of, and how to donate:

Advocate Aurora Health Care: To donate, please call the dedicated call center at 877-787-2111 to work directly with a representative who can facilitate your donation during the hours of 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. Please drop off items at your local Advocate Aurora Health hospital at the shipping and receiving dock.

• Relief Fund for Critical Care: Provide resources to our patients and communities, plus doctors, nurses and team members.
• Masks & supplies: Both N95 and procedural masks will be accepted (new and unused). Hand sewn masks will be accepted as long as they follow these instructions.
• Hand sanitizer: Personal sized hand sanitizer that has been unopened. CDC guidelines encourage sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol composition
• Eye protection: This includes any new or unused goggles, safety glasses or face shields.
• Disinfectant wipes: All brands of unopened pre-moistened wipes are accepted.
• Food and meals: Feed doctors, nurses and team members with donations of professionally prepared food.

Food donation guidelines:

• Food must be individually packaged
• Food must be donated from a restaurant/caterer/food company that is monitored by local health inspectors and has passed a health inspection in the last 12 months.
• No homemade food
• Beverages must be in single serve packages
• All flatware needs to be individually wrapped
• All condiments need to be in portion control packets

To donate blood, or offer provide other support not mentioned above, visit advocategiving.org/covid-19/.

If you have questions or are unsure if your item qualifies please contact COVIDAAHSupplyDonations@aurora.org. If you're a manufacturer and would like to help, please email Brian.Barnum@advocatehealth.com.

Bulk donations: If you have donations of bulk prepacked food items (such as pallets of water or individually wrapped protein bars) email to COVIDAAHSupplyDonations@aurora.org.

For more information or to show your gratitude, visit advocateaurorahealth.org/coronavirus-disease-2019.

Related:

• McHenry Co. Health Launches COVID-19 Resource Guide
  
• Coronavirus In McHenry County: Food Pantries, WIC Program Info.
  
• County-By-County Look At Coronavirus Cases

Mercy Health: To protect the health and safety of patients and care teams, donations should not be brought directly to Mercy Health facilities. Instead, please email APRush@bshsi.org with subject line: DONATION, or call 888-383-8000.

• Financial donation
• Goggles
• Face shields
• Latex gloves
• Tyvek suits
• Masks: Requirements and instructions

>> More information

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Northwest Community Hospital: To safely donate commercial-grade or handmade PPE, supports should drive up to the main entrance of Northwest Community Hospital at 800 W. Central Road in Arlington Heights, between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Someone will be there to accept the donation. If delivery is not possible, please call 847-618-0252 to coordinate a pickup of your donation from your location.

• Masks: N95 masks (clinical or industrial), donated handmade masks
• Surgical masks
• Face/eye protection (medical grade): Face shields, goggles, eye shields
• Gowns: Isolation gowns, surgical gowns
• Gloves: Examination gloves, surgical gloves
• Cleaning products: Hand sanitizer, sanitizing wipes, anti-microbial soap
• Financial donations: Visit nch.org/donate or call the NCH Foundation at 847-618-4260.

If you have donations of other items or special offers (discounts on food, services, etc.) for staff support and recognition, email givecovid19@nch.org or call 847-618-GIVE.

Northwestern Medicine: Please do not drop off donations without making arrangements beforehand through the online donation form.

• Monetary donations through foundation.nm.org (COVID-19 Relief Fund)
• Factory-made, hospital-quality medical supplies
• Food and beverage items: Please note the list of guidelines.
• Hand sanitizer and cleaning supplies
• Business donations of discounted or donated meals and services, delivery and app subscriptions
• Cell phone and tablet chargers for patients who forgot theirs at home
• Care package donations

More: What To Donate To Northwestern Hospitals In Chicago Area

Hearthstone Communities: 840 N. Seminary Avenue in Woodstock. This senior community needs PPE donations to help protect senior residents and medical staff. If you have PPE to donate, please call 815-338-2110. Here are needed items:

• Masks: N95 masks (clinical or industrial)
• Surgical masks
• Face/eye protection (medical grade): Face shields, goggles, eye shields
• Gowns: Isolation gowns, surgical gowns
• Gloves: Examination gloves, surgical gloves
• Cleaning products: Hand sanitizer, sanitizing wipes, anti-microbial soap
• Financial donations
• New Chromebooks for residents to communicate with families

Sinai Health System: Call 773 257-6404 or 773-542-2000 to set up donations

• COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund
• PPE equipment

Bria of Geneva:

• Breakfast, lunch or dinner meal donations: The donation would need to be 40 grab-and-go meals to feed a shift. Staff at the independent living, assisted living and short-term inpatient rehabilitation facility told Patch it would lighten the day for the kitchen staff and be a morale boost if there are restaurants or catering businesses that would like to support us during this unprecedented healthcare challenge. If your businesses would like to donate, please email Patti Long, the facility administrator at plong@briahs.com.

Partners for Our Communities:

• Face masks: To give to the vulnerable in our communities who drive in on Saturdays for food. Email pocrole@gmail.com if you can help.

Ecker Center for Mental Health:

• This nonprofit community mental health agency provides behavioral health services to people living in Kane and part of Cook County through locations in Elgin, Streamwood and St. Charles. Through outpatient psychiatry and nursing, counseling, life skills group, intensive Community Support Team and therapy, the agency serves people with a moderate or severe mental illness, and most of the patients have an income below the federal poverty line (over 70 percent).

According to an email sent to Patch, the organization's group homes and Crisis Residential programs needs the following supplies (they welcome any supplies the community is willing to donate):

• Any household paper goods
• Hand soap
• Dish soap
• Dishwasher soap
• Laundry detergent
• Gift cards for food
• Twin sheet sets
• Large kitchen garbage bags
• New adult socks
• Personal hygiene supplies

All donations can be dropped off at 1845 Grandstand Place, or donations can be made through the Ecker Center for Mental Health website.

If you work at a hospital or local health center in the Chicago area and know of any donation opportunities (food, items, masks and more), please email rebecca.bream@patch.com with the hospital or health center name and the type of donation being sought in the subject line, followed by any other helpful details in the email.