Contributed article 10:40 a.m.
Thursday, March 25, 2021 10:42 am

NORTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. - Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ocean State Job Lot Charitable Foundation has leveraged its global supply chain to provide hundreds of thousands of pieces of personal protective equipment to first responders, healthcare organizations and municipalities. In continuation of this effort, the Foundation will distribute up to $3.4 million worth of additional PPE to school systems in the 142 communities where Ocean State Job Lot stores are located across the Northeast, including Rochester.

The donations include pallets of PPE including face shields, antibacterial and disinfecting hand wipes, and hand sanitizer, for a total retail value of up to $24,000 to each community.

"As children begin returning to school in-person, it is critically important that school systems have the health and safety supplies they need to protect their students and staff," said David Sarlitto, Executive Director of the Ocean State Job Lot Charitable Foundation. "At OSJL, we're deeply committed to philanthropy and community reinvestment, and we hope these donations will help pave the way for a safe and successful return to the classroom for teachers and students alike."

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the OSJL Charitable Foundation has actively invested in providing relief to the communities in which it operates, going as far as supporting the 142 communities in which it has stores with $25 million in financial and product donations in 2020. Among these donations was the ongoing distribution of $15 million in PPE to school systems, hospitals and other healthcare facilities, and police and fire departments across New England and the Northeast.