General Motors Donates 2 Million Face Masks to Michigan Public Schools as Students Return to Class

GM will donate 2 million face masks to Michigan public schools as part of the State of Michigan’s MI Mask Aid partnership. GM’s contribution includes 750,000 child-size masks for elementary students, which will be ready for delivery by Sept. 14, and 1.25 million adult-size masks for high school students, faculty and staff, which will be ready for delivery by Sept. 28.

GM will distribute masks to Michigan’s intermediate school districts in coordination with the State of Michigan’s Community Service Commission. When the public school contribution is complete, GM will have donated more than 6 million face masks produced at its Warren, Michigan facility to communities across the state affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

“This is great news for our students, educators and support staff who need access to face masks to protect themselves and their families. Until there is a vaccine, it’s crucial that all Michiganders continue to mask up, and we are working around the clock to ensure everyone has access to a mask,” said Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. “I am grateful for GM’s partnership and dedication to protecting our students and educators during this time, and I look forward to working with everyone who wants to help us provide masks to our most vulnerable populations.”

According to Michigan Department of Health and Human Services’ director, Robert Gordon, masks are proven to reduce a person’s chance of spreading COVID-19 by up to 70 percent. There’s also growing evidence that masks can protect the wearer’s life by reducing the severity of COVID if they are infected.

“We know many teachers, parents and students are focused on the challenges of returning to school this fall,” said Gerald Johnson, GM executive vice president of Global Manufacturing. “At GM, we are proud to play a small part in making the transition easier by providing face masks to the Michigan schools that need them most.”

GM decided to produce face masks in Michigan on March 20, as the coronavirus pandemic created a critical shortage worldwide. Today, GM’s Warren facility has two production lines for face masks and a third line making N95 face respirators. To date, the facility has produced more than 10 million masks, with production going to employees at GM facilities or donated to community organizations. For more information about GM’s face mask facility, please visit GM.com.

To help provide face masks to the communities where GM employees live and work, the company is currently producing face masks in the U.S., China, Canada, Mexico and Brazil. In addition, GM shared its mask production plans with more than 300 companies through a collaboration with the Original Equipment Suppliers Association and the Michigan Manufacturers Association to help other manufacturers ramp up their own production efforts.