our mission and support from the community
The Masked Heroes Initiative (MHI) is a nonprofit charity based in Orange County, California. Many of us graduated from Valencia High School (Placentia, California) and are current college students from several universities across California, such as USC, UCLA, UC Berkeley, CSUF, Cal Poly Pomona, and more. We collect donations that are used for COVID-19 relief projects which include coordinating vaccination efforts, and in specific cases, ordering personal protective equipment (PPE) to send to hospitals and healthcare centers experiencing the most severe of shortages. As a resurgence of COVID-19 is occurring, it is important to make sure our communities are properly informed about and receiving the safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine.
MHI was founded on the principles to serve and protect the community during this pandemic. Donating masks to hospitals, we have helped make sure the protectors of our modern society stay safe during the pandemic. So far, we have donated over 40,000 units of PPE to various causes listed below. The ultimate goal of our organization is to uphold the powerful messages and beliefs of our community while ensuring their safety as best as we can during the pandemic.
Masked Heroes Initiative sends representatives to local peaceful protests for racial equality to give masks to protestors, ensuring they can protest safely.
June 3rd, 2020
"While others were protesting, Placentia resident Jay Kim-Turner walked around handing people masks.
He just finished his first year at UC Berkeley but was home early because of COVID-19. In April, he and seven of his friends, many of them from Valencia High School, started a GoFundMe called Masked Heroes Initiative, where they’ve raised $1,355 so far in order to buy masks to donate to local hospitals."
Read the full article on MHI and the protest here.
April 24th, 2021
"Leaders of the Masked Heroes Initiative at UCLA, second-year Asian American studies and biology student Megan Vu and second-year computer science and linguistics student Rainey Williams, said it is important for UCLA students to remain vigilant in their physical distancing practices.
“Since the vaccinations have become more available, I’ve been hearing more parties,” Williams said. “That’s a little discouraging because just because some of us are vaccinated, it doesn’t mean it’s safe to just go back to normal and have these really tight social gatherings.”"
Read the full opinion piece here.
Several graduates of Valencia High School in Placentia founded the @maskedheroesmhi which provides masks and PPE to healthcare workers in #LA & #OC. It's another example of #CA39 residents going above and beyond to help their community during this crisis. https://t.co/25KzUuHqzy
— Rep. Gil Cisneros (@RepGilCisneros) August 20, 2020
Several graduates of Valencia High School in Placentia founded the Masked Heroes Initiative which provides masks and PPE...
Posted by Rep. Gil Cisneros on Thursday, August 20, 2020
Delivery to West Anaheim Active Care
Delivery to Orange County Ophthalmology Medical Group
Delivery to Martin Luther King Jr. Community Hospital
Delivery to UC Irvine Medical Center
Delivery to St. Jude Heritage Urgent Care Center
MHI representatives providing free masks to peaceful protestors in Placentia, CA
Protestors in Placentia, CA, some utilizing masks provided by MHI
Delivering masks to Paul the Barber in Westwood
Delivery to Salvation Army Anaheim Emergency Shelter
Delivery to Medical City McKinney in McKinney, TX
Donation to representative of UC San Diego Health Frontiers in Tijuana
Delivery to Anaheim Terrace Care Center, Anaheim, CA
Delivery to Sun Mar Nursing Center, Anaheim, CA
Care Package Nominee Winner: Dr. Trinh
Care Package Nominee Winner: the Barnuevo Family
Delivery to Bayberry Skilled Nursing & Healthcare Center
Delivery to Mission Palms Healthcare
Delivery to Stanley Healthcare Center
Delivery to Zakhor Dental Group
Delivery to Anaheim Crest Nursing Center
Delivery to Los Angeles Community Hospital
Delivery to Riverside Free Clinic
Delivery to Caring Family Dentistry
Delivery to Chinatown Service Center
Delivery to Phillips Ranch Pharmacy
Delivery to Filipino Community Center
Delivery to Filipino Community Center
Delivery to Southeast Asian Community Center
Delivery to Operation Safehouse
Delivery to People's Park
Providing Free PPE at UC Berkeley