Caring for Caregivers

St. Francis is calling on community members and businesses for donations of protective face masks and other supplies. These supplies are needed to help meet ongoing health care needs and conserve existing personal protective equipment (PPE) for providers who are engaged in the coronavirus response. We also welcome notes of gratitude and encouragement for our staff that we will share in a safe manner with them. See below for more details.

What we need

• factory-made N95 and ear loop masks
• hand-sewn ear loop masks
  • mask pattern for beginner sewers
  • mask pattern for advanced sewers
• headbands with three secure buttons per side (used to attach an ear loop mask for ear protection)
  • crocheted mask ear saver instructions
• surgical mask strap extenders, including those made with 3D printers
  • 3D printer mask strap extender design
• isolation gowns
• Nitrile exam gloves
• PAPR and CAPR
• PAPR hood/shroud
• safety glasses/goggles
• face shields, including those made with 3D printers
  • must be 10 inches long to cover mask/respirator
  • front is clear plastic and fastens in the back, ideally with elastic
• shoe covers
• commercial disinfectants including Quat-based sanitizers, bleach and hydrogen peroxide-based disinfectants and unopened disinfectant wipes

We request that all donated items are in their original packaging with the exception of hand-sewn masks. After collection, St. Francis Supply Chain and Infection Prevention experts will review and properly prepare supplies before they are deployed to caregivers, patients or visitors within St. Francis.

Questions about hand-sewn masks?

Please see more information in the Frequently Asked Questions section below.

How to donate

Starting Monday, April 6, masks and other supplies can be safely donated Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at St. Francis Regional Medical Center. Check the Where to donate list below.  Bring donations inside the designated entrance and drop off in the blue bins. Look for signage near the designated entrance. To arrange donations on a pallet, please email SaintsFoundation@allina.co and someone from St. Francis will connect with you for next steps.

Drop off inside these locations:

• Abbott Northwestern Hospital, Minneapolis, Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Institute entrance on the mall (enter mall from 28th Street), near help desk
• Abbott Northwestern Hospital – West Health, Plymouth, Emergency Department entrance
• Buffalo Hospital, main hospital entrance
• Cambridge Medical Center, main clinic and Emergency Department entrance, behind registration desk
• District One Hospital, Faribault, main entrance
• Mercy Hospital – Mercy Campus, Coon Rapids, Mercy Specialty Center main entrance, inside the Pharmacy on right
• New Ulm Medical Center, clinic entrance
• Owatonna Hospital, Emergency Department entrance
• Regina Medical Center, Hastings, north entrance
• River Falls Area Hospital, main entrance
• St. Francis Regional Medical Center, Shakopee, Emergency Department entrance
• United Hospital, St. Paul, main hospital entrance, behind visitor screening table/check-in
• Courage Kenny Rehabilitation, Golden Valley, main entrance

Mail to:

Allina Health Central Warehouse
Attention: Supply Donations
2800 10th Ave. S.
Minneapolis, MN 55407

We also accept cash and online donations of any size in support of our Caring for Caregivers Fund. Please mail checks (payable to Saints Foundation) to:

Saints Foundation
1455 St. Francis Avenue
Shakopee, MN 55379

Why are we collecting personal protective equipment (PPE) and hand sewn masks from the community?

We are proactively preparing for an increase in confirmed cases of coronavirus and are working to ensure we have the supplies necessary to protect our health care workers and patients.

Are you accepting items other than masks?

Yes. We are accepting other PPE items such as gloves, gowns, face shields and more. (See our complete list in the Donate masks and supplies section above.) We also welcome notes of encouragement for our staff that we will share with them in a safe manner.

How will donations be used?

Donations will help us conserve our PPE for health care workers who are working directly with COVID-19 patients, while continuing to ensure our health care workers across the system have the supplies they need to protect themselves and our patients.

How will the hand-sewn masks be used?

The hand-sewn masks will conserve PPE by giving us an option to give to patients, visitors and families instead of using  our commercial PPE supplies. They may also be worn by non-clinical health care staff (like Pharmacy or Environmental Services staff). Healthcare staff interacting with patients will wear approved PPE.

Do patients or visitors need to return the hand-sewn masks after they use them?

No. Patients and visitors will take the masks home.

How effective are the hand-sewn masks?

Like the paper ear-loop masks, the hand-sewn masks will keep droplets from coughing, etc. from getting into the air. The hand-sewn masks are not respirators and do not filter air like an N-95.

What is the recommended mask pattern?

We have two options for mask patterns: one for beginner sewers and one for advanced sewers.

What if I can’t find elastic or other materials needed for this pattern? Can I use what I have?

You can use fabric or bias tape folded over and sewn together to make strings to tie behind the head.

Can I donate masks that are in opened boxes (not sealed)?

Yes, if the masks have not been used, they may be donated.

Will donated supplies be shared with other health systems?

We are all in this together. We are in close contact with government partners and other health systems across the state and we are coordinating our planning and response to COVID-19, including supplies.

Will donated supplies be sterilized before use?

After donated supplies are collected, St. Francis Supply Chain and Infection Prevention experts will review and properly prepare supplies before they are deployed to caregivers, patients or visitors.

Now that a “stay at home” order is in place in Minnesota and Wisconsin, should I still drop off my donation to a collection site?

Yes! Working with the governor’s office, we have confirmed that donations can still be brought to our collection sites.We are continuing to collect PPE as an essential activity even during the stay at home order as it directly supports healthcare. Be sure to practice social distancing and use good hand hygiene during your drop off.

I have a business that could manufacture personal protective equipment (PPE). Whom should I contact for details?

Please email SaintsFoundation@allina.com and someone from St. Francis will connect with you for next steps.

How should I arrange for supply donations on a pallet?

Please email SaintsFoundation@allina.com and someone from St. Francis will connect with you for next steps.

Are you accepting cash donations to support the Caring for Caregivers Fund?

Yes. We welcome cash or online donations of any size. Please mail checks (payable to Saints Foundation) to:

Saints Foundation
1455 St. Francis Avenue
Shakopee, MN 55379

Individual donors

We are unable to accept homemade food or beverage donations at this time. All food or beverage donations must be provided by professional teams certified in handling food commercially (restaurants/cafes) or be store bought.

We strongly encourage donations to your local food shelf. With local food drives cancelled and an increase in people needing food support, food shelves are feeling the pressure to serve more people with less. A donation of food to your local food shelf could feed your neighbors, families and children when they need it most. Find a place to donate food at hungersolutions.org.

Food service businesses

Please review the guidelines below. Companies that can meet these guidelines should complete the food donation form below to coordinate with our staff for approval and delivery.

Food guidelines

• All food must be wrapped for individual consumption. We cannot accept food in packaging that must be shared.
• Food must be prepared by professional teams certified in handling food commercially. Unfortunately, we are unable to accept meals from individuals who do not meet this criteria.
• Donations should accommodate 50 or more people.

Delivery guidelines

• Deliveries must be scheduled in advance to ensure it is received and delivered appropriately.
• To protect the health of everyone involved, St. Francis has implemented a no visitors policies inside our healthcare facility at this time. If a vendor wishes to invite members of the media to cover their donation, please connect with St. Francis media relations ahead of time to discuss this request.

Thank you for helping us keep our staff members, patients and community members healthy by accommodating our requests for safe donations.

Please fill out the food donation form, if you are interested in donating food to St. Francis staff members.
Note: Please choose St. Francis as the drop-off location

There continues to be a blood shortage across the nation and state and our blood donation partners are asking people to donate. See the American Red Cross  blood drives and Memorial Blood Center  for locations where you can safely donate blood.

The American Red Cross has established a Rapid Pass to allow individuals to pre-register.