Our Story

We are a team of six friends who share a strong connection to the Bay Area. We were recently inspired by a large outbreak of COVID-19 in one of San Francisco’s largest shelters. We believe there is one population that is unable to socially distance themselves because of circumstance—there is no staying at home when you don’t have one. Shelters for unhoused individuals are fertile ground for the virus to spread, as they house many people, some of whom already have respiratory illnesses, in close quarters.

There is a simple tool that can drastically decrease the spread of COVID-19: masks.
​
With California’s extended shelter-in-place and mask requirements enforced, thousands of unhoused individuals in the Bay Area are disproportionately impacted. We aim to provide every unhoused individual with two masks – so they can wear one while the other is washed – in order to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on the unhoused population.

---

Our Model
​

• Product: Partner with businesses to provide cost-effective, reliable masks to every unhoused individual across the Bay Area while supporting jobs for Californians who create those masks:
  • Our first objective is to provide two reusable, durable masks to every unhoused individual in Berkeley and Oakland (~6,000 unhoused)
  • Our next objective is to provide these same resources to the unhoused population of San Francisco (~8,000 unhoused)
• Distribution, Sanitation & Awareness: Collaborate with local shelters and nonprofits addressing the needs of the unhoused in order to distribute and sanitize the masks 
  • Along with each pair of masks, we will provide an informational flyer with general health advice and mask sanitation locations for individuals to clean or swap their masks 
• Fundraising & Awareness: Launch a GoFundMe across our network and various social media platforms (e.g. Facebook groups) to raise our initial goal of $10k

We’ve partnered with 6 major organizations in the Bay Area to help distribute masks and raise awareness: 

• Berkeley Food and Housing Project
• Hamilton Families
• Coalition of Homelessness
• WDDC
• Covenant House
• Compass Family Services

For easy reference, feel free to download and share the one-pager below, which summarizes our mission and model.

---

Our Team

Mo Siddiqui

Hey, my name is Mo, and I am currently a fourth year medical student at Rush University. I have been a part of over 5 organizations dedicated to addressing the healthcare disparities faced by the unhoused population. Fun fact: I’ve spelled a record number of names incorrectly as a prior Starbucks Barista.

Yoko Imajo

Hi, my name is Yoko and I recently graduated from UC Berkeley with a B.A. and Master of Public Health (MPH). I’ve enjoyed working with various non-profits in Japan and the U.S. to tackle health disparities associated with the social determinants of health. Fun fact: I’ve encountered a sea turtle in the wild!

Neeknaz Abari

Hi, I’m Neeknaz! I recently graduated from UC Berkeley, where I worked at the Berkeley Student Food Collective. I've also worked with a variety of nonprofits as a member of The Berkeley Group along with Ruth and Vicky. Fun fact: I’ve owned 9 pets throughout my life, not including fish.

Ruth Chen

My name is Ruth Chen, and I am a recent graduate from UC Berkeley. I've worked with both local and international nonprofits with a goal of providing equity to all.
Fun fact: Candy fiend - Tried over 85% of any general supermarket’s candy aisle. Vicky is somehow the same height as me (right).

Vicky Jin

My name is Vicky Jin, and I am a recent graduate from UC Berkeley. I’ve always been an active community volunteer, having worked with several nonprofits and hospitals both in LA and the Bay Area.
Fun fact: I can lick my elbow and I am the same height as Ruth (left).

Juliana Zhao

Hello there! My name is Juliana Zhao and I recently graduated from UC Berkeley as an Economics and Business major. I love working with nonprofits and am passionate about giving back. Fun Fact: I used to play the accordion!