Bexar County Medical Society Alliance And The Mitchell Chang Foundation Donate Coronavirus Safety Supplies For District 4 Residents

Press release from the City of San Antonio:

October 23, 2020

CONTACT: Rosana Galaviz
Office: (210) 207-5785
rosana.galaviz@sanantonio.gov

SAN ANTONIO (October 23, 2020) – Members of the Bexar County Medical Society Alliance, led by Danielle Henkes, partnered with April Chang, who heads the Mitchell Chang Foundation, to make a generous donation of reusable masks and hand sanitizer for District 4 residents. This past September, Councilwoman Adriana Rocha Garcia was a featured speaker at the Bexar County Medical Society public health and advocacy committee meeting. She shared the devastating impact COVID-19 has had in the communities she represents on the southwest side of San Antonio where health disparities and access to healthcare is limited.

Several members of the BCMSA shared these concerns and through their volunteer work are demonstrating their commitment to helping vulnerable populations disproportionately affected by COVID-19. Through the Mitchell Chang Foundation, residents participating in District 4 events, who are at higher risk for infection and complications, will receive reusable masks and bottles of hand sanitizers donated by Tito’s Vodka. Since the start of the pandemic, the Mitchell Chang Foundation has donated over 10,000 fabric masks to frontline healthcare workers and continue to provide free masks to other vulnerable populations.

April Chang, who founded the Mitchell Chang Foundation in honor of her late son Mitchell who drowned at the age of three, personally delivered the boxes of the reusable masks along with her eight-year old son, Evan. The tragic loss of her son Mitchell led April to form a foundation dedicated to doing good through acts of kindness and service to others. Some of the foundation’s other initiatives include raising funds to construct an inclusive public playground for children of all abilities. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to devastate communities across the county, April shifted her focus to help collect and donate face masks and also produce new masks to sell and donate to vulnerable populations across the city. Thanks to April, her family, and supporters of the Mitchell Change Foundation, the Bexar County Medical Society Alliance is amplifying efforts to reduce the propagation of COVID-19.

Danielle Henkes from the Bexar County Medical Society Alliance also visited the District 4 Field Office near Pearsall Park to ensure the donations arrived along with “Stop the Spread” info cards in Spanish and English that will be shared with residents.

“District 4 continues to be one of the three top districts with the highest number of COVID-19 cases and deaths in our City. Our vulnerable communities on the southside and westside continue to endure the brunt of this pandemic with no end in sight,” lamented Councilwoman Rocha Garcia, “When Danielle and April from the Bexar County Medical Society Alliance reached out to offer their support, I was genuinely elated to see yet again how our residents answer the call of service to assist others in great need. These masks and bottles of hand sanitizer will be critical for our District 4 residents who don’t always have access to protective equipment and supplies.”

This press release was produced by the City of San Antonio. The views expressed here are the author’s own.