LAFAYETTE, La. – When it comes to communities rising together, Louisiana residents and businesses have certainly had their fair share of experience just in the past two decades – Hurricane Katrina in 2005, BP Oil Spill in 2010 and the 500-Year Flood in 2016 to name a few. And while the COVID-19 pandemic is like nothing the current generation has ever experienced, the resilience of the human spirit and the compassion and generosity of individuals and businesses continue to inspire. One such example is Dr. William C. Schumacher, an emergency medicine physician for over 40 years, who recognized the dire need for personal protective equipment in order to decrease the spread of COVID-19 and decided to do something about it.

The William C. Schumacher Family Foundation brought together a variety of nonprofit organizations to create Love Our Community, which is a philanthropic organization dedicated to providing support across Louisiana in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. With the foundation’s initial donation of 500,000 masks, Love Our Community was able to immediately begin working toward its goal of serving as a catalyst for recovery by providing PPE to healthcare workers as well as patients quarantined for presumptive and positive COVID-19 – patients were also provided with educational resources and supportive outreach in an effort to further stop the spread of this virus.

Love Our Community also began putting educational materials in grocery stores and other locations along with signage that helped remind people about the current guidelines like washing hands, not touching faces, social distancing, etc. Dr. Schumacher’s primary goal with providing the necessary education and resources to those affected was to help reduce the transmission of the disease to family and friends through early intervention.

As this state, country and the entire globe deal with these unprecedented and ever-changing times, it is truly inspiring to see how individuals are rising up to help not only their families and friends but also neighbors and strangers. William C. Schumacher Family Foundation and Love Our Community will continue to do their part in the fight against the spread of COVID-19 – it’s crucial to understand that this fight is far from over and that individuals and businesses cannot become complacent. In fact, just this week, William C. Schumacher Family Foundation pledged to donate an additional 500,000 masks throughout South Louisiana specifically for the employees of hospitals, nursing homes, rehabilitation facilities, churches, mosques, and synagogues, recognizing the courageous personal and professional sacrifices so many are making on the front lines of this pandemic. Continuing to stop the spread of this virus will remain the utmost focus of both organizations as we walk forward all together toward a bright, hope-filled future.

Learn more at www.loveourcommunityfoundation.com and www.maskoneveryface.com.