Source: NC AGROMEDICINE INSTITUTE, 4/28/20

Community Partner Letter - Cloth Face Coverings and Personal Protective Equipment for Farmers and Farmworkers



Good morning:

Just a quick note to share the community partner letter (see below) regarding donations for cloth face coverings and personal protective equipment for farmers and farmworkers.

Please understand that we in no way mean to detract from the importance of personal protective equipment for our dedicated healthcare professionals and first responders.

We would appreciate your sharing this information with anyone that you think may be interested.

Take care!

Robin

Robin Tutor Marcom, EdD, MPH
Director
NC Agromedicine Institute
1157 VOA Site C Road
Greenville, NC 27834
919.880.4225
tutorr@ecu.edu
April 24, 2020

Dear Community Partner:
The North Carolina Agromedicine Institute ('the Institute’) is a partnership among East Carolina
University, North Carolina State University and North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University.
Our mission is to promote the health and safety of farmers, fishermen, foresters, their workers and their
families through research, prevention/intervention and education/outreach. The Institute serves the
agricultural work force in all 100 of our state’s counties.

Currently, we are working to help these individuals secure the supplies they need for COVID-19 response
and for day-to-day work operations. This is important for two reasons: 1) personal protective equipment
(PPE) has been diverted to healthcare providers causing farms to be unable to secure the PPE they are
required to have under state and federal law (see attached statement from North Carolina Department
of Agriculture & Consumer Services); and, 2) North Carolina is dependent on more than 23,000
migrant/seasonal farmworkers living in congregate housing to assist with planting and harvesting its
crops.

To assist with these needs, the Institute is reaching out to community partners that can assist with
sewing cloth face coverings according to guidelines from the Centers from Disease Control
(https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/diy-cloth-face-coverings.html),
providing non-touch thermometers, nitrile gloves and funds to purchase specific PPE (e.g., respirators,
filters, cartridges, eye protection, etc.) needed by farms. If you can assist with these needs, please
contact Tina Clift at 252-744-1008. Arrangements can be made to pick up supplies, depending on the
location or they can be shipped to Robin Tutor Marcom, 2504 Amelia Church Road, Clayton, North
Carolina 27520.

Monetary donations can be made at www.ncagromedicine.org/donate-support.php or mailed to NC
Agromedicine Institute, 1157 VOA Site C Road, Greenville, NC 27834. Checks should be made payable to
ECU-Medical & Health Sciences Foundation with notation in memo line for NC Agromedicine Institute
Fund.

Thanks so much for helping the Institute help those who feed us every day!
Regards,
Robin Tutor Marcom, EdD, MPH
Director
tutorr@ecu.edu
919.880.4225