Teaming Up to Fight COVID-19
Mercy Foundation helps coordinate efforts to protect local residents from COVID-19 by turning generous donations into PPE and distributing it throughout Douglas County.
Story by Jim Hays
You probably haven’t noticed Mercy Foundation’s work helping keep Douglas County residents safe from the COVID-19 virus. Collecting donated PPE (personal protection equipment) and making sure it gets to the people who need it isn’t exactly a public attention-grabber.
But foundation president Lisa Platt and her staff don’t mind the low profile. They’re more interested in how they can help. And they have certainly done that.
Already involved in numerous Douglas County health initiatives, the foundation team shifted gears when the COVID-19 emergency struck and quickly got its own response up and running.
Their first initiative was to establish a community collection site for PPE.
Platt and staff members got on the phones to solicit local businesses for donations to provide masks, gowns, gloves, face-shields and other equipment that would be distributed to anyone needing it.
“We hoped people would donate to us, and they did,” Platt says.
More than 70 individuals and businesses contributed money or materials to the foundation, which turned the donations into PPE for people in many different walks of Douglas County life.
Among the donors was a 10-year-old Roseburg girl who sent in money she receive for her birthday and requested it be used in the foundation’s efforts.
Recipients included medical workers at Mercy Medical Center, first-responders, emergency medical technicians and Douglas County Public Health Network staff. But medical personnel weren’t the only beneficiaries. Grocery clerks, gas station attendants, postal workers, delivery people and drive-through food and coffee servers also received the gear necessary to keep them and their customers safe.
“Our team is used to doing a lot of community outreach,” says Platt. “Everyone pitched in and helped where their skill set was applicable.”
Foundation employees staffed a COVID-19 hotline. Nurses put in extra hours as screeners. Platt and the foundation’s grant writer worked to obtain money from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to supplement local donations.
Their efforts, and those of other community groups, have no doubt helped reduce the impact of COVID-19 throughout the region. As of July, Douglas County had confirmed fewer than 40 cases of the virus among a population of more than 112,000. That ranked Douglas County 29th among Oregon’s 36 counties in the number of Covid-19 cases per 1,000 population, according to the Oregon Health Authority.
Platt knows the job isn’t over, however.
“We’ve been very fortunate,” she says. “But we need to continue our social distancing and wearing a mask in public. If we can continue that, we can maintain a low infection rate.”
Meanwhile, the foundation continues its work in combatting human trafficking, domestic violence and diabetes, along with its program for maintaining children’s health.
“We have been doing outreach for 14 years and people have been very giving,” Platt says.
Thank You Donors
The following individuals and businesses generously contributed
to Douglas County’s COVID-19 initiative.
AAA of Roseburg
Bailey Veterinary Clinic
Bi-Mart Stores
Caddock Enterprises
Cardinal Services
Cascade Optometry
Companion Animal Clinic
Jim Coon
Costco
Current Orthodontics
Denise Martin Blooming Kindness Boutique
Department of Justice
Douglas County Association of Realtors
Douglas County Co-op
Douglas County Helpers
Eden Dental
Eveland Sandblasting
FCC Commercial Furniture
First Community Credit Union
Fuller’s Pest Control
Brock Goldbeck
Mark Hamm, DMD
Harbor Freight
Harvard Dental
Healthy Kids Outreach Program
Home Depot
Nicole Jenkins
Knife River
Debra Koehler
Kruse Farms
LeMert Orthodontics
Level Up Frozen Yogurt
Long’s Pest Control
Mahalo Heating & Air
Kevin & Natalie McFarland
Rick Miller
Bentley Moore
Motel 6—Roseburg
Joshua Myers, DDS
Mary Newman
Dr. Jed Norman
Northwest Heating & Cooling
Oregon Serigraphics
Pacific Air Comfort
Dr. Alanson Randal
Redeemer’s Fellowship
Rick’s Medical Supply
Roseburg Honda
Roseburg Refrigeration
ServPro of Sutherlin
Smiles Dental Roseburg
South Coast Business Employment Corp.
Rob & Lisa Stearns
Swanson Group
Ben Tatone
Taylor’s Family Mortuary
Umpqua Community College
Umpqua Valley Builders Association
Western Title & Escrow
Dr. Weston
Wildlife Safari
Jemelene Wilson
Dr. Leonard Wilson
Winston & Green Valley Congregations of Jehovah’s Witnesses
Dennis & Sky Woodz
World’s Finest Chocolate (on behalf of Roseburg High School Band and Sunnyslope Elementary School)
