In the midst of business closures and re-strategizing due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the rising need for protective masks has given clothing and textile companies a nudge into a lucrative and socially accountable direction: producing masks.

In 2020 Face Masks Became Must-Haves

It became apparent quite quickly that the fashion and textile industry would need to shift gears and provide badly needed aid by starting to create protective masks too. Several brands and designers, like Danielle Baskins, got creative and put their own spin on the new daily apparel must-have.

Burberry made a significant donation to developing Oxford University’s COVID-19 vaccine, while delivering 100,000 surgical masks to Britain’s NHS workers by tapping its global supply chain. My cousin Jo gave me an African-fabric face mask. with a proper liner, as a late-August birthday present.

The phrase “tapping the global supply chain” translates into “not made in Britain.” America’s healthcare workers network was also besieged in 2020 by supply shortages of face masks, as demand forecasts increased exponentially.

"The surgical mask supply went from being 90% U.S.-made to being 95% foreign-made in literally one year," says Mike Bowen, executive vice president of Prestige Ameritech. And despite the staggering increase in imports, the country was still unable to secure adequate supply from foreign producers.

Masks: From Ancient Symbolism to Lifesaving Protectors

Writing about Burberry making face masks is great. LVMH swung into action and made face masks too, in their own French sample-making and small-runs factory. That good action also warranted a story on AOC.

What about face masks being made in AOC’s own neighborhood? Don’t I have some obligations to American workers in AOC’s birthplace? Especially when the company has a female Owner/President Randi Blumenthal-Joseph and a long history of helping communities?

With masks available, Penn Emblem found a new way to give back and support the community. JFCS of Philadelphia, Jewish Children and Family Services, specifically a group under this umbrella called “Our Closet.”

Penn Emblem thought I would never show up.

America’s need for face masks now and most probably into the future inspired Penn Emblem to develop reusable, adjustable masks, as well as standard disposable masks for its new products. This has also opened the company up to new corporate social work activities and partnerships with other organizations and individuals, so that they may do their part in helping communities in the best way possible.

Despite having a California office, the company’s start in Pennsylvania helped them achieve this pivot. Since forming an LLC in Pennsylvania allows brands to benefit from the sixth-largest economy in the U.S., and a lower cost of doing business — 5% below the national average — it has put Penn Emblem in a position to be able to give back to the local community in Pennsylvania during this difficult time.

In addition to offering masks to paying customers, Penn Emblem was able to contribute 1,500 masks to the Woodside Church in Yardley, Pennsylvania, to be included in their hygiene kits. These kits are annually assembled and distributed to the homeless throughout Bucks County, Pennsylvania, and Mercer County, New Jersey.

Penn Emblem has also donated 1,500 reusable masks to Jewish Children and Family Services (JFCS). The 160-year organization provides adoption and foster care services; it also helps families go out into the community to deliver clothing. The most recent kits to be given away included protective masks and other relevant items to help vulnerable community members avoid contracting the virus.

Anne’s Neighborhood Next Door: Kensington in Philadelphia

The company has also worked with Jill Frechie, John Ricciutti and Jon Powell, producers of the Emmy-nominated documentary “Kensington in Crisis,” to deliver masks to the Kensington area. This is especially important for the community since it has been struggling to stay afloat between its long-standing battle against opioid addiction — with one of the highest overdose rates in America and an estimated 75,000 residents addicted to heroin and other opioids — and the continuous threat of COVID-19.

These unprecedented times of crises have called on companies, organizations, and individuals alike to band together, and AOC learned about Penn Emblem through the Kensington documentary.

Looking out my wide-open French doors in my Philadelphia loft in the 19123 zip code very close to Kensington, I often reflected on Kibera — one of the world’s biggest slums outside of Nairobi. Both Nairobi and Kibera are home to projects that are very important to me.

I wasn’t focused on Kensington, 5-10 minutes away from my own privileged perch. Carversville taught me to care about my own neighborhood, and I wrote those values more than once in the website content. Did I walk my talk?

Because I’ve failed the good citizen test in some ways, thank goodness we have companies like Penn Emblem to pick up my own slack.

Best Practices in American Business

Anyone who reads AOC regularly knows that I believe in American businesses as problem solvers — particularly in our fractured political landscape. To be direct about it, business is my last hope for problem-solving, working in concert with government and NGOs.

Moving into 2021, AOC will continue to extol the philanthropy efforts of Dior, Gucci, Burberry and more. But we will also do a much better job of promoting worthy companies like Penn Emblem as examples of American business excellence and innovation.

Increasingly, that excellence prioritizes the need to make a difference in our own American communities where suffering is acute in our COVID and post-COVID worlds. Economically, these communities are devastated.

When the topic is face masks, we are talking about vital and potentially life-saving efforts. As California moves into the worst COVID crisis yet; and hospitals turn away patients in multiple states as we speak, Penn Emblem is committed to the tough fight ahead.

My apologies for being late to the acknowledgement of Penn’s community-based efforts. May this lavish praise inspire lots more of them. ~ Anne