10,000 face masks being donated Friday to Milwaukee Area Technical College

MILWAUKEE -- The Local 212/MATC Believe in Students FAST Fund is donating 10,000 face masks to the Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) on Friday, July 24.

“We are donating facemasks to MATC,” said Barbara Toles, President of the FAST Fund’s Board of Directors, “to promote the health and safety of MATC’s students, faculty and staff. We want to make sure that everyone who enters the campus has a facemask.”

MATC closed its four campuses in March in response to the COVID 19 pandemic -- with most instruction completed online through the remainder of the semester. The college began offering limited on-campus instruction this summer in addition to its on-line offerings.

According to a press release, while most of the instruction will be delivered on-line this fall to minimize spread of the virus, the college plans to offer on-campus options in disciplines requiring hands-on learning. Classes that require on-campus instruction will be conducted following CDC and Health Department guidelines and recommended protocols.

Dr. Lisa Conley, a member of the FAST Fund Board of Directors, President of the faculty and professional staff union, and a Natural Sciences instructor, said, "Wisconsin has recently experienced a rapid increase in positive COVID 19 tests. Science tells us what we need to do to flatten the infection curve. It requires all of us to behave responsibly starting with wearing a face mask. This is a simple but very effective way of preventing the spread of this deadly and highly contagious virus. We are excited to be able to promote the health and safety of the college community through this donation.”

The FAST Fund received the face masks from the federal government.