Research on the COVID-19 crisis is getting more and more detailed every day, and one fact is clear: masks help. Wearing a mask reduces transmission of the coronavirus from one person to another by a substantial amount. CEO and philanthropist Tzvi Odzer is working hard to ensure that people across the country have access to the masks they need to keep themselves and their loved ones protected, no matter what their economic status. 

Tzvi Odzer has always been committed to helping others, and he sees supplying people in need of equipment as a paramount priority during the COVID-19 crisis. According to the latest research from top health organizations, wearing a mask combined with other protective measures (such as hand washing and social distancing) can slow the spread of COVID-19. Tzvi Odzer wants to work to ensure that people across the country have access to the protective equipment they need. 

The Stephen Odzer COVID Relief Fund is working to get masks into areas where people may be struggling to afford protective measures. Sadly, some people need to choose between keeping themselves and their families safe and providing basic needs, such as food and healthcare. Tzvi Odzer is working to ensure that no American family needs to make this choice by developing a fund that provides masks to people struggling to afford them on their own. 

In addition to the stress caused by struggling to provide for their family’s basic needs, people who live at a low-income level are also more likely than others to have jobs that require them to interact with the public regularly, mentions Tzvi Odzer. This makes it even more important that people who have a low level of income have access to the protective equipment that they need. When a person works in a public-facing job has access to the protective equipment required to stay as safe as possible, they’re lessening the likelihood of them catching the virus (and needing to take valuable time off work), as well as lowering the chances of passing the virus on to family members at home, says Tzvi Odzer. 

While Tzvi Odzer has donated to similar funds in the past, this is his first time starting his own non-profit venture to help people through the COVID-19 crisis. Tzvi Odzer’s track record clarifies that he prioritizes helping others, and the COVID-19 crisis presents a unique need to help people stay safe.