An Arcadia alumna from the class of 2009, Dr. Karen Tsai is one of the co-founders of non-profit organization DonatePPE.org. She recently completed her residency in Internal Medicine at USC and is beginning her fellowship in endocrinology at UCLA.

The organization was created on Mar. 19 with the initial intention of collecting Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), from Californians who had stockpiled resources like masks for wildfires. From the onset of the pandemic hospitals all over the nation have faced a lack of adequate protection for its healthcare workers from COVID-19.  

Prior to the pandemic, doctors like Tsai never would have imagined running out of basic supplies and equipment. “These were supplies we took for granted… never did we ever find ourselves having shortages,” she remarked.

DonatePPE.org’s Director of Marketing Kenny Liu said, “When the pandemic first broke out back in March, no one had a clear understanding of how we should resolve the issue of the PPE shortage.” 

However, since its launch, the organization has collected PPE from all over the country. Some of its most significant corporate partners include Norwex, Ford Motors, and Flexport. Norwex donated 1 million medical-grade masks and Ford Motors even stopped their factory chains to make face shields and started to supply PPE items. 

DonatePPE.org has distributed over 1.6 million articles of PPE and raised over $150,000. It has also sent PPE worldwide to hospitals in Uganda, Zimbabwe, and Ghana, among others.

The organization has also received notable attention from CBS News, NPR, Forbes, the Los Angeles Times, and Yahoo Finance. They have also been featured in Character Media, an Asian American publication that highlights key people in Asian American entertainment and media. Recently, Tsai and her brother Dr. Kevin Tsai, Chief Medical Officer of DonatePPE.org, had the honor of presenting an award for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series at the Emmys on Sept. 20.

Michael Chen, the organization’s Director of Creative Strategy, as well as Liu, helped to develop and improve the organization’s website, marketing strategy, design, corporate sponsorships, and social media, among other things. Like Tsai, neither had ever imagined that they would be driving such an impactful movement.

“It’s really nice to make a positive impact, that in this case, is helping save lives. [He is] super grateful that [he] can have such a meaningful opportunity during such a difficult time.” Chen said.

Liu, Tsai, and Chen as well as a few other members of their team are AHS alumni. Chen worked as an Ad Editor for The Apache Pow Wow, Liu was a member of Speech and Debate, Chanteurs, and the basketball team, and Tsai was part of ASB, Orchestra, and Varsity Golf. 

Of making such a big, positive impact, Tsai said that “No, [she] wouldn’t have ever imagined” doing so. But, she said that as an AHS alumna, she feels that “this was something that [she] thinks Arcadia really prepared [her] for” and that her time serving on ASB has helped her to have the courage to run DonatePPE.org. 

As many members of their team are also Arcadia alumni, they highlighted the importance of resourcefulness, resiliency, and most importantly, relationships. 

Because of the skills they gained as students as well as the relationships and trust the alumni had with each other from their high school careers, DonatePPE.org has not only become a success, but also an experience that pulled them even closer together.

“Those very basic relationships, that you’re not even thinking about—the people in your group projects—by knowing the way they work and by just knowing them, there is immediate trust,” said Liu.

Photo courtesy of DONATEPPE.ORG