Monday, April 20, 2020

Volunteer Spotlight: U&I Masks for Kids

During these difficult times, it's important to recognize those who are doing their part to help the community. U&I Masks is dedicated to making protective masks for children. Julie Song and her partner Gieun Chae's goal is to create masks that not only make sure that kids are healthy, but are fun to wear!

Keeping Kids Safe, One Mask at a Time


Hello! I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy during this time of the COVID-19 virus. I would first like to take this opportunity to introduce myself, Julie Song, as well as my partner, Gieun Chae. This global pandemic has been evolving at a much faster rate than any of us could envision, infecting more than 400,000 people in the U.S. alone. The rapid spread of this virus has endangered many lives of the older generation, causing the public to focus their attention on the safety of elderly adults. Unfortunately, while the importance of protecting seniors has constantly received recognition, many have overlooked the lives and the safety of children.

Believing that the protection of children is just as significant, my partner and I wanted to take action for the sole purpose of making sure kids are safe and healthy during this epidemic. We desired to bring a light of hope to this season of negativity by spending our time in quarantine reaching out and helping children in need. After many discussions and planning about what we could do to help, we decided to create our own kid-friendly face mask organization: U&I Masks. Our service in this organization is solely for the lives of each and every child. For the masks, we use materials like soft fabric and kid-friendly designs so that kids can enjoy wearing them while staying protected!

Primarily, our name “U&I” has a variety of important meanings behind it. First, the “I”, pronounced (ah-ee), means child in the Korean language, ultimately signifying our main motive to help protect the children around us. Secondly, the name “U&I” as a whole indicates that you and I are united as one during this time of the pandemic and how vital it is for us to help one another out. During the manufacturing process, my partner and I always wear a mask and gloves while working six feet away from each other for our own safety as well as that of our recipients. We believe that having this kid-friendly platform to raise awareness of how to protect each child during current and future epidemics can be very efficient. Currently, we are working with a variety of organizations to help protect their children and families and have received a vast amount of positive feedback from the kids. Engaging in a simple yet effective action and seeing the smiles on the children’s faces brings us pure happiness and we truly believe that a small step can go a long way!