• By Bryn Lenkaitis
• Posted Thursday, February 18, 2021

Relaunch of Forsyth PPE Kit Program

During the tumultuous past year of the COVID-19 pandemic ,Forsyth County has stood unified with its local, small businesses by providing the personal protective equipment (PPE) needed to re-open safely. In June, the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners allocated $300,000of the County’s Coronavirus Relief Fund for the purchase and distribution of PPE kits to businesses significantly impacted by theCOVID-19 Stay at Home Orders. Community and Economic Development (CED) Department staff, alongside local Chambers of Commerce, led the efforts of the Reopen Forsyth PPE Kit program; managing, preparing and distributing over 270 PPE Kits complete with a one-month supply of masks, gloves and sanitation materials to businesses within Forsyth County. Following substantial community response, the Forsyth County General Services Department was enlisted to fulfill PPE Kit requests, which remained steady until late September as the needs of County businesses were met. Below are just a few of the messages received as businesses put their equipment to use.

“Just picked our PPE Kit up and wanted to give you a huge "THANK YOU"! What an amazing box of such useful items for our essential industry teammates. Thank you for all that you are doing to help out our amazing community!”
-Jill Petras Allen Tate Realtors

“Thank you for the approval grant for the Personal Protective Equipment Kit. We are a new business, licensed by the State of North Carolina under the direction of the Department of Health and Human Services, within the dynamic Forsyth County Community area, providing companion/sitter care for our clients. The kit will provide essential items needed for sanitization and protection for our health care business.”
-Eleanor Collins Sustaining Hands Home Care

“I just wanted to say THANK YOU to Forsyth County for making these kits available to companies who are reopening. THANK YOU. There have been and continue to be so many challenges, we are grateful to be a recipient of the county’s generosity. Please pass our appreciation to all of the people who made this possible.”
-Jeri Bates Speechcenter, Inc.

Due to the overwhelmingly positive feedback received, the Community and Economic Development Department has relaunched the Forsyth PPE Kit Program to equip and sustain operating businesses confronting the persisting pandemic. As Forsyth County and the nation at large see a consistent rush of Coronavirus cases it is critical that the County continues to remain vigilant. Businesses who previously requested a PPE kit will be permitted to now request a second round of supplies and new businesses are encouraged to request their first kit. The CED department will continue to take an administrative role in managing requests and communicating with businesses while the General Services Department will continue to lead the distribution of materials.

To request a kit or for more information, visit: https://forsyth.cc/covidupdate/#pperequest