Mending Kids, a nonprofit organization located in Glendale, was selected to receive emergency relief funds from the Open Hearts Foundation, co-founded by actress and philanthropist Jane Seymour. The nonprofit was chosen in response to serving vulnerable communities in the Greater Los Angeles area during the coronavirus crisis. This $10,000 challenge grant is a call to action for individuals wanting to contribute toward Mending Kids’ continuous efforts in supporting the frontline heroes doing social and medical outreach during the COVID-19 pandemic.

With its overseas surgical missions temporarily halted, Mending Kids has refocused its mission to fight against COVID-19. Initially, the nonprofit donated its inventory of medical supplies to the Dept. of Health Services containment zone at Dockweiler State Beach. Next it gifted its portable ventilator to Martin Luther King Jr. Community Hospital in South LA.

Over the past month, Mending Kids has become a resource for collecting, coordinating and distributing medical supplies and equipment to various clinics located in Downtown and East LA. To date, the nonprofit has donated personal protective equipment (PPE), a portable ventilator, Tylenol, wound care, nasal cannulas, IV fluids, gloves, glucose analyzers, stethoscopes, face shields, N95 face masks and surgical masks.

During these uncertain times, the support of the Open Hearts Foundation will allow Mending Kids to increase its efforts towards replenishing and sourcing medical supplies to areas with a high burden of disease that may complicate efforts to treat those infected with COVID-19 but most importantly providing PPE for the men and women on the frontlines.