One of our SHYP youth relays: I am a part of We The Youth, a diverse group made up of students in Massachusetts that organize and lead events and facilitate discussions in order to help educate and create change around us. Our focus is on current issues that are important to us, like social justice and education reform.  We strive to make our community a more welcoming place that educates youth in diverse history and to highlight diverse voices in the process. We are doing a mask and hand sanitizer drive for underprivileged people in MA. We noticed that it is not something that a lot of people have extra money to spend on to protect themselves. This leaves them more vulnerable to COVID-19. We will be donating these supplies to local shelters and organizations of need, like Rosie’s Place in Boston. We will be collecting donations at different times and places around Reading within the month. We are asking for disposable or reusable masks, mask filters, and hand sanitizer of 70% alcohol or more. We are not accepting homemade masks and they need to be in the closed packaging they were bought in. The box is currently out and on the Loring House front porch. It will be there until Sunday, March 14th. Any donations are greatly appreciated. If you don’t live nearby but still want to donate you can venmo us @WeTheYouth with ‘for masks’ in description for us to buy them for you. If you have any questions, feel free to email us at [email protected].