Fall River linen manufacturer to donate 50,000 masks to Providence schools

FALL RIVER, Mass. (WLNE) – Fall River-based linen manufacturer Matouk will donate 50,000 masks to Providence schools before the beginning of the new school year.

The two-ply masks are 100% cotton, safe for machine washing and drying, and come in three sizes.  Each mask has a nose wire and elastics for around the ears and is personalized with the Providence Public School District logo, the district says.

George Matouk, Matouk CEO and Providence resident, said his company has already donated 5,000 masks to Providence schools for summer operations but will donate the remaining 45,000 masks by the beginning of the school year.

“When we learned that the school system needed face protection for its students and professionals to safely return to school in the fall, we knew this was an area where we could make a difference, and we are grateful that Superintendent Peters gave us the opportunity to help,” Matouk said.

The Providence School District says they plan to reopen school buildings in the fall. Those plans include protocols for wearing face masks in a number of situations, a spokeswoman for the district noted.

The latest version of the district’s reopening plan requires that all students and staff wear masks during school arrival and dismissal, when riding school buses, and when in common areas where a minimum of six feet of separation cannot be guaranteed, spokeswoman Laura Hart said.

Masks are recommended but not required in common spaces where six feet of distance can be maintained and in classrooms of “stable groups” made up of the same individuals over time, Hart added.

There are around 24,000 students in the Providence Public School District.