Smoke Masks for Bellingham

What are you doing?

Whatcom County DSA is raising money to provide N95 smoke masks to members of our community for the upcoming wildfire season in the Pacific Northwest. Our intention is to provide masks particularly for those unhoused folks in our community who don't have a way to get out of the smoke, but we will offer the masks to anyone who asks for them.

Why are you doing this?

Wildfire season has become the new normal for much of Western America, and the National Interagency Fire Center predicts that won't change in 2019. Each summer, these fires bring with them dangerous smoke for weeks or even months at a time. 

According to the CDC, wildfire smoke can cause trouble breathing, asthma attacks, and tiredness, and can worsen chronic heart and lung disease. The EPA adds that exposure to wildfire smoke can also lead to premature death.

Both agencies suggest avoiding the smoke as much as possible, but for many folks, that's easier said that done: those who live outside and those who don't have a stable housing situation don't always have the option of avoiding the smoke for months at a time. In this case, they need a respirator to protect their lungs from the fine particulates in the smoke.

Where does the money go?

All of the money we raise (less the fees for this donation site) are going directly to buy masks. Buying in bulk online, we can get the masks for $0.60 each. At the end of the fire season, we will save any leftover masks to distribute when the smoke rolls in again next summer.

Who are you?

Whatcom County (WA) DSA is a chapter of the national Democratic Socialists of America organization. We seeks to empower working people and marginalized groups in order to build a more equitable society for everyone. 

While we are a political organization, this mutual aid campaign is about empowering working people and marginalized groups: none of the money raised for this cause will be used for anything besides purchasing N95 smoke masks for our community.