Please note there are separate application forms and different descriptions for each role, which you can find below. Applying to both roles is OK, we just ask that you be aware of the time commitment and let us know in your apps which role you’d prefer.

For both roles, we encourage folks in Greater Boston to apply, especially those who are Disabled, from Boston, are Black, Indigenous, or other people or color, and/or who have language skills in Spanish, Vietnamese, Mandarin, Cantonese, Haitian Creole, or Portuguese.

There’s FAQ for each of the roles below, and if you have a question we haven’t answered, email us at bostoncovidaction@proton.me.

Here are quick links to the different sections:

• General Member

• Distro Fairy

General Member Role Description

Application linked here, due by Saturday, August 8 at 11:59pm EST.

Boston COVID Action is a mutual aid organization rooted in disability justice. We’re entirely composed of volunteers, with 7 active general members and 10 distro fairies at the moment. Since October 2023, we’ve distributed over 100,000 masks and 40,000 rapid tests for free to individuals and organizations all over Greater Boston, and tabled at dozens of community events to share information about mitigating COVID and other airborne illness.

Resource distribution (distro) is the core of our operation, but we are excited to get new projects off the ground in order to move public health resources more efficiently and equitably to community, fight the spread of disease, pandemic denial, and misinformation, and grow our efforts towards mass political education—all in alignment with our points of unity. We would love more people to join us in this struggle!

We are seeking 5-10 volunteers to join our general membership this fall, which holds the bigger picture strategy of the organization, in addition to stewarding our distro operation.

We are specifically looking for folks who can help grow four key areas of our work where we are currently low in capacity:

• Fundraising: Creatively raising money to source supplies as we head into our busiest season (fall and winter), and also thinking long-term funding strategy as an unincorporated community group.

• Outreach: Building relationships with other orgs and groups in order to distribute supplies and information to communities we aren’t currently reaching.

• Communications: Making accessible and effective public communications to share about our programs and distro, share accurate public health info, and move the cultural needle on disease prevention and disability justice.

• Coordination and Facilitation: Supporting the group as a whole in decisionmaking, meeting its goals, developing strong and collaborative culture, handling conflict, and cohering strategic direction.

We are looking for folks who:

• Live in Greater Boston.

• Are willing to uphold our community agreements, strive towards our points of unity, and are excited about being part of building a mutual aid organization, with an eye towards supporting the larger fight for disability and pandemic justice as connected to all other liberation struggles.

• Have experience in at least 1 of the 4 competencies listed above, preferably more.

• Have roughly 2-4 hours per week of time to contribute to this project, with the ability to attend at least 1 monthly general meeting, 1 monthly working group meeting, and move forward tasks independently in between those meetings.

  • All meetings currently default to being virtual on Sundays, between 11am and 1pm. We occasionally host in-person social events or meetings as access needs allow.

• Can commit to communicating proactively if your capacity and/or interest in the work changes over time

We especially encourage folks who are Disabled, are from Boston, are Black, Indigenous, or other people of color, and/or who have language ability in Spanish, Vietnamese, Mandarin, Cantonese, Haitian Creole, or Portuguese to apply!

As a general member, you would:

• Have approximately 2-4 hours per week to contribute to the project for the foreseeable future

• Get onboarded into all parts of BCA’s work and culture, including joining us for a 2-day virtual retreat sometime in December

• Join 1 or 2 working groups, focused on one of the key areas listed above.

• Participate in 1 general meeting (1-1.5 hours) and 1 or 2 working group meetings (1 hour each) a month. All meetings are currently virtual on Sundays, usually between 11am and 12:30 pm, though we sometimes have in-person meetings as access needs allow.

• Be available to complete tasks in between meetings and communicate proactively with other general members and distro fairies.

• Get paired up with a current general member to check in about how it’s going, and participate in occasional social activities if desired.

• Share your thoughts and feedback with us throughout this process

I’m interested! How do I apply?

We’re so excited and grateful to meet you! Here’s what to do:

1. Read through this document in full, and reach out to us at bostoncovidaction@proton.me if you have additional questions. We’ll also update here with answers to FAQ as we receive them.

2. Fill out the linked application form by Saturday, August 8 at 11:59pm EST.

3. We may reach out for a 30-minute interview in the last two weeks of August, before letting you know about our final decision by Sunday, September 13.

4. If selected, we’re hoping you can join us for our first general meeting with new members on Sunday, October 11, and generally for Sunday meetings between 11am - 12:30 pm, so please let us know in your application if you cannot make that time!

We are also separately recruiting for distro fairies, a more scoped role focused on delivering masks throughout Greater Boston! If you are interested in being a distro fairy, please see the program description and recruitment call for distro fairies below.

General Member FAQ

Can I apply to be both a general member and a distro fairy?
Yes, you can, many general members play an active part in distro as well, but we strongly suggest that you consider whether or not you can make the time commitment to both and speak to this in your application. Please also let us know if you have one role that is your first choice in case we’re not able to say yes to you in both roles.

I’ve previously applied to be a distro fairy. Do I need to apply again for general membership?
Yes! We’re thrilled you’d like to join us as a general member and would love to hear your updated thoughts and interests in joining the crew. Since this is a distinct role from the distro fairy role, please go ahead and submit a separate app.

I am home/bedbound, can I still apply?

Yes! Currently, nearly all of our current members do some in-person work because the core of our work is distro, which requires moving supplies all over the city. We still anticipate that there will be meaningful roles to fill (particularly in comms, fundraising, and facilitation) that can be done entirely virtually, so please apply if you have skills in those areas!

I’m part of another organization that would love to partner or collaborate with BCA in some way. Should I apply?
Nope—instead, please reach out to our email bostoncovidaction@proton.me to let us know what you’re thinking! We’re recruiting at this time for specific skills and roles, so this is not the best way to pitch an organizational partnership.

Who are we?

We’re a small crew of volunteers, many of whom are Disabled, who have been distributing free masks and tests in Greater Boston since 2023!

I can’t do this—how else can I support you?

We’re currently raising funds to meet demand for masks and rapid tests. Our Venmo is @BostonCOVIDAction if you would like to contribute. We also accept mask and test donations: please reach out to bostoncovidaction@proton.me!

We are also recruiting for distro fairies, a more scoped role focused on delivering masks throughout Greater Boston! If you are interested in being a distro fairy, please see the program description and recruitment call for distro fairies here.

I have more questions!

Email us at bostoncovidaction@proton.me!

Distro Fairy Role Description

Application linked here, due Saturday, August 8 at 11:59pm EST.

Are you excited about distributing free masks and tests to mitigate the spread of illness? Do you want to connect with others who care about fighting COVID as a part of the larger struggle against eugenics, capitalism, white supremacy, imperialism, and patriarchy? Do you have some free time, a car, and/or logistical skills to lend to the cause?

Boston COVID Action is looking for more distro fairies 🧚🏻😷to support with the distribution of masks and rapid tests all over greater Boston. We’re looking for individuals who can volunteer their time for at least 4 months, from November 2026 until February 2027, to help us keep up with requests throughout the city!

We are looking for folks who:

• Live within Greater Boston. We’ll consider distro fairies all over, but some of our priority areas (where we currently have demand but low spoons to deliver) are: Quincy, Dorchester, Roxbury, Malden, as well as floaters who have cars and are willing to drive longer distances to help cover gaps.

• Have a clean, dry, and temperature-controlled place to store and method to transport masks and tests

• Are excited about distributing supplies, connecting with community members and neighbors, and coordinating with other distro fairies and BCA members.

• Have between 4-10 hours a month to commit to this project

• Are willing to uphold our community agreements and strive towards our points of unity.

As a distro fairy, you would:

• Commit to doing at least 2 contactless deliveries a month for 4 months (November - February) within your service area and/or help restock Boston Covid Action Hubs with supplies

• Get trained up and supported in doing 1:1 and neighborhood outreach about COVID mitigation, commonly asked questions about masks and tests

• Attend a monthly 1-1.5 hour meeting to connect and troubleshoot with other distro fairies, share with us how things are going.

• Be available to check a shared spreadsheet

• Be communicative and open to coordinating via Signal and text message with distro fairies, coordinators, requesters.

• Share your thoughts and feedback with us as we try this out!

We especially encourage folks who are from Boston and/or who have language ability in Spanish, Vietnamese, Mandarin, Cantonese, Haitian Creole, or Portuguese to apply!

I’m interested! How do I apply?

We’re so excited and grateful to meet you! Here’s what to do:

1. Read through this document in full, and reach out to us at bostoncovidaction@proton.me if you have additional questions. We’ll also update here with answers to FAQ as we receive them.

2. Fill out the linked application form by Saturday, August 8 at 11:59pm EST.

3. We may reach out for a 30-minute interview in the last two weeks of August, before letting you know about our final decision by Sunday, September 13.

4. If selected, we’re hoping you can join us for our first distro fairy meeting with new fairies on Sunday, October 25, and generally for monthly Sunday meetings between 11am - 1pm. Please let us know in your application if you cannot make that time!

Distro Fairy FAQ

Can I apply to be both a general member and a distro fairy?
Yes, you can, many general members play an active part in distro as well, but we strongly suggest that you consider whether or not you can make the time commitment to both and speak to this in your application. Please also let us know if you have one role that is your first choice in case we’re not able to say yes to you in both roles.

I’ve previously applied to be a distro fairy. Do I need to apply again for to be a distro fairy?

We appreciate your continued interest in helping us with distro! We’re happy to re-evaluate the application you previously submitted - please let us know in this application if that’s the case, and update any answers that have changed since last time. If you’d like a copy of your application, please email bostoncovidaction@proton.me.

Why a 4-month commitment?

Because it takes time and effort to onboard new fairies and get them stocked with supplies, we ask fairies to try to commit to the program in four-month seasons. You can always let us know if your capacity changes mid-season and you need to dip, but this regular check in cadence is helpful in setting mutual expectations to start! At the end of each season, we ask all fairies if they’d like to join us for the next four months. If the answer is no, we will off-board you and get supplies back.

Who are we?

Boston COVID Action is a mutual aid organization rooted in disability justice. We’re entirely composed of volunteers, with 7 active general members and 10 distro fairies at the moment. Since October 2023, we’ve distributed over 100,000 masks and 40,000 rapid tests for free to individuals and organizations all over Greater Boston, and tabled at dozens of community events to share information about mitigating COVID and other airborne illness.

I can’t do this--how else can I support you?

We’re also recruiting for general members, which is higher commitment, but with virtual-only roles! You can find the application and recruitment call for general members here.

We’re also always raising funds to keep supplies in Boston stocked. Our venmo is @BostonCOVIDAction if you would like to contribute. We also accept mask and test donations-- please reach out to bostoncovidaction@proton.me!

I have more questions!

Email us at bostoncovidaction@proton.me!

Deliveries

The map below displays our projected delivery coverage through the end of October 2026. Deliveries are coordinated, contactless drop-offs by BCA volunteers. Request a delivery here.

Blue = consistent coverage
Yellow = occasional deliveries possible

Porch Pickups

These are typically coordinated, contactless pickups with BCA volunteers, though can sometimes look like masked hand offs in public places. The most updated list lives on our request form. This option is often quicker than delivery! As of early July, we offer porch pickups in:

• Allston / Lower Allston

• Cleveland Circle (Brighton)

• Coolidge Corner (Brookline)

• Inman Square (Camberville)

• Union Square (Somerville)

• Ball Square (Somerville)

• Jamaica Plain (Parkside)

• Jamaica Plain (Pondside)

• Quincy (Target)
  

Hubs

Hubs are brick-and-mortar businesses and community centers that we stock with free masks and tests for drop-in pickup, no form required! We’re up to 10 locations across the city.

We’re saying a goodbye for now and big thank you to Mbadika in Cambridge for their great work as a hub this past year. We appreciate you! You can continue to find supplies in Cambridge at Made by Me and Circus Coop Cafe.

We also recently welcomed Brookline Booksmith as an official hub!

As always, a full, updated list of hubs can be found here. Be sure to check hours and accessibility information and call ahead if you have a specific stocking question!

Event Spotlight: Portacount Fit Testing Events in Cambridge and Medford — July 25-26, 2026

Passing along from some folks offering this essential service for free!

”Sign-ups close July 23, 2026. If the events sell out, we may be able to add more slots, add yourself to the waitlist in the sign-up page to be notified.

Details and sign-ups (access code 617):

July 25 - Cambridge Crossing: https://www.tixtree.com/e/portacount-fit-testing-boston-cambridge-ma-jul-25-2026-f774c6726998

July 26 - Medford: https://www.tixtree.com/e/portacount-fit-testing-boston-medford-ma-july-26-2026-19c112533c03”

Ways to Help

Spread the word about these resources by sharing this post or its counterpart on Instagram.

If you can, consider making a donation to our Venmo! We are 100% community funded and every dollar gets more masks and tests out into the community. Thanks for your support!

Questions? Concerns? Shoot us an email at BostonCOVIDAction@proton.me.

Solidarity,
Boston COVID Action

Deliveries

The map below displays our projected delivery coverage through the end of June 2026. Deliveries are coordinated, contactless drop-offs by BCA volunteers. Request a delivery here.

Blue = consistent coverage
Yellow = occasional deliveries possible

Porch Pickups

We’ve added a few new locations to our porch pickup roster. These are typically coordinated, contactless pickups with BCA volunteers, though can sometimes look like masked hand offs in public places. The most updated list lives on our request form. This option is often quicker than delivery! As of early March, we offer porch pickups in:

• Allston / Lower Allston

• Cleveland Circle (Brighton)

• Coolidge Corner (Brookline)

• Inman Square (Camberville)

• Union Square (Somerville)

• Ball Square (Somerville)

• Centre/South St (JP)

• Stonybrook (JP)

• Quincy (Target)

• Malden
  

Hubs

Hubs are brick-and-mortar businesses and community centers that we stock with free masks and tests for drop-in pickup, no form required! We’re up to 10 locations across the city, as we welcomed the Lucy Parsons Center in JP earlier this year. As always, a full, updated list of hubs can be found here. Be sure to check hours and accessibility information and call ahead if you have a specific stocking question!

*Please note, our hub at Brighton Allston Congregational Church will be closed through approximately April as the church undergoes emergency repairs. Please send the folks at BACC lots of love and good wishes!

Resource Spotlight: North of Boston Mask Bloc

For folks north of the river / north of the city, check out North of Boston Mask Bloc who are accepting pickup and delivery requests of KN95 and N95 masks via email! See coverage and stock details on their new Instagram.

Ways to Help

Spread the word about these resources by sharing this post or its counterpart on Instagram.

If you can, consider making a donation to our Venmo! We are 100% community funded and every dollar gets more masks and tests out into the community. Thanks for your support!

Questions? Concerns? Shoot us an email at BostonCOVIDAction@proton.me.

Solidarity,
Boston COVID Action

The Boston Public Health Commission has free rapid COVID-19 and flu combination tests available to community organizations and service providers! Click here to apply and request. We’ve put in several requests so far and have been able to pick up 48 tests per week. Please request them to demonstrate that Boston needs these resources widely available!

Supplies are intended for community partners and service providers and are first come first serve until supplies last. You can request on behalf of an organization at the form link in our bio. (Please note: BCA does not have a physical headquarters nor are we an incorporated org, and we qualify for pickups. If you’re not sure whether you qualify, try applying!)

Distribution is held on Tuesdays from 11 AM - 2 PM excluding state and federal holidays. You can designate another contact to pick them up for you, as well as request for several weeks before picking up several orders at once. If you’d like BCA to pick up tests on your behalf, please email us at BostonCOVIDAction@proton.me.

The surge means that we are once again raising money to keep up with the increased demand for rapid tests, especially. We’ve been able to get most of our masks donated or on sale, but with the discontinuation of the federal program for free COVID tests earlier this year, we’ve had to pivot to purchasing tests at-cost. We’re a mutual aid group of (mostly disabled) volunteers, not an institution or a non-profit organization, so we aren’t able to access wholesale or institutional pricing.

Here are 3 ways you can support our work!

1. Enter our raffle to win a custom-made steel mask chain!

We’re raffling off a steel mask chain made by a local artist, custom-made to your liking! Enter now through December 31st by sending $10 per ticket to @BostonCOVIDAction on Venmo! Be sure to include the # of tickets you’re buying and your email address for a valid entry.

We’ll choose up to 3 winners in the new year to receive a custom steel mask chain, designed in collaboration with one of our bloc members (choose your own charms, chains, style, etc!).

Entries are welcome from anywhere in the so-called U.S. Please choose private/personal transaction on Venmo, NOT goods and services. If you don’t use Venmo but would still like to enter, please email us at BostonCOVIDAction@proton.me.

2. Buy rapid tests for us with your FSA funds!

Boston folks: need to use up leftover FSA (flexible spending account) funds? We’ll gladly accept donations of rapid tests. We recommend purchasing the following types:

• Hotgen SARS-Cov-2 antigen lay test at Altruan.com, $0.67 USD each. (these are the only FDA certified tests from Altruan)

• Any rapid antigen tests from Pharmalynk.com, usually about $5 USD each. Tests with expiration dates greater than 3 months out preferred!

We are also happy to accept mask donations, though note we are well-stocked with masks and meeting increased demand for tests is a priority.

Once you receive the tests at your location, reach out to our email BostonCOVIDAction@proton.me to coordinate a pickup or dropoff.

3. Donate money so we can source supplies directly!

Lastly, the surest way to support us is to donate directly to us on Venmo to @BostonCovidAction. We always appreciate recurring donations, which help us keep up with demand throughout the year. Please select “friends and family" to ensure it’s not a business transaction.

Thanks for your support!

In solidarity,

Boston COVID Action

Deliveries

The map below displays our projected delivery coverage through the end of February 2026. Deliveries are coordinated, contactless drop-offs by BCA volunteers. Thanks to our distro fairy pilot program, we have expanded our coverage quite a bit! Request a delivery here.

Blue = consistent coverage
Yellow = occasional deliveries possible

Porch Pickups

We’ve added a few new locations to our porch pickup roster. These are coordinated, contactless pickups with BCA volunteers. The most updated list lives on our request form. This option is often quicker than delivery! As of early December, we offer porch pickups in:

• Allston / Lower Allston

• Cleveland Circle (Brighton)

• Kenmore Square (Fenway)

• Inman Square (Camberville)

• Union Square (Somerville)

• Ball Square (Somerville)

• Centre/South St (JP)

• Stonybrook (JP)
  

Hubs

Hubs are brick-and-mortar businesses and community centers that we stock with free masks and tests for drop-in pickup, no form required! We’re up to 9 locations across the city and are adding more soon. As always, a full, updated list of hubs can be found here. Be sure to check hours and accessibility information and call ahead if you have a specific stocking question!

Ways to Help

Spread the word about these resources by sharing this post or its counterpart on Instagram.

If you can, consider making a donation to our Venmo! We are currently low on rapid tests and want to keep providing them for free throughout the winter, but costs continue to be high. Thanks for your support!

Questions? Concerns? Shoot us an email at BostonCOVIDAction@proton.me.

Solidarity,
Boston COVID Action

Do you want to connect with others who care about fighting COVID as a part of the larger struggle against eugenics, capitalism, white supremacy, imperialism, and patriarchy?

Do you have some free time and logistical skills to lend to the cause?

We’re trying something new! Boston COVID Action is looking for distro fairies 🧚🏻😷 to support with the distribution of masks and rapid tests all over greater Boston. We’re looking for individuals who can volunteer their time for 4 months, from November 2025 until February 2026, to help us keep up with requests throughout the city!

We are looking for folks who:

• Live within Greater Boston. We’ll consider distro fairies all over, but some of our priority areas (where we currently have high demand but low spoons to deliver) are: Medford, Malden, East Boston, Chelsea, Everett, Revere, Dorchester, Arlington.

• Have a clean, dry, and temperature-controlled place to store and method to transport masks and tests

• Are excited about distributing supplies, connecting with community members and neighbors, and coordinating with other distro fairies and BCA members.

• Have between 4-10 hours a month to commit to this project

• Are willing to uphold our community agreements and strive towards our points of unity.

As a distro fairy, you would:

• Commit to doing at least 2 contactless deliveries a month for 4 months (November - February) within your service area

• Get trained up and supported in doing 1:1 and neighborhood outreach about COVID mitigation, commonly asked questions about masks and tests

• Attend a monthly, virtual 1-1.5 hour meeting to connect and troubleshoot with other distro fairies, including a mid-way and post-program debrief so that we can gather up the lessons learned.

• Be available to regularly check a shared spreadsheet and coordinate via Signal and text with distro fairies, BCA coordinators, requesters.

• Share your thoughts and feedback with us as we try this out!

We especially encourage folks who are from Boston and/or who have language ability in Spanish, Vietnamese, Mandarin, Cantonese, Haitian Creole, or Portuguese to apply!

I’m interested! How do I apply?

We’re so excited and grateful to meet you! Here’s what to do:

1. Read through this document in full, and reach out to us at bostoncovidaction@proton.me if you have additional questions. We’ll also update here with answers to FAQ as we receive them.

2. Fill out the linked application form below by Tuesday, October 7.

3. We may reach out for a 30-minute interview the week of October 12-18, before letting you know about our final decision by the last week of October.

4. If selected, we’re hoping you can attend the first onboarding training on November 9, 11a-12:30p, so please let us know in your application if you cannot make that time!

Why a 4-month commitment?

This is a trial run! Our hope is to test out what it’s like having distro fairies support us during the months when we often have the highest demand. At the end of the 4 months, we’ll debrief with distro fairies and as a collective to determine if this is a program we can continue or expand!

Who are we?

We’re a small crew of volunteers, many of whom are disabled, who have been distributing free masks and tests in Greater Boston since 2023!

I can’t do this--how else can I support you?

We’re currently raising funds to meet the demand for rapid tests in the current surge. Our venmo is @BostonCOVIDAction if you would like to contribute. We also accept mask and test donations-- please reach out to bostoncovidaction@proton.me!

Are monthly meetings remote?

Yes! They will happen over Zoom.

I have more questions!

Email us at bostoncovidaction@proton.me!

• Make a donation, in any amount, to our Venmo @bostoncovidaction. We average between $100 and $500/month in donations. To make this test purchase, we’d need to raise over 10 times our average. Any amount you can spare toward our goal is extremely appreciated!

• Schedule a recurring donation. Beyond this big push to fund rapid tests, regular donations pay for tests, masks, tabling fees, and everything that keeps BCA getting resources out into our community. Regular donations are what make this work possible!

• Donate unexpired rapid tests! Whether you receive them through your job or purchase them on your own, any donation of rapid tests is much appreciated. Please be sure to check expiration dates and any extensions. Please email us at bostoncovidaction@proton.me to facilitate any donations.

• Share this message (or this Instagram post) with anyone who can help! Help this ask reach online groups, loved ones, and generous acquaintances who might be willing to support. We completely understand that many of our community members are not in a position to donate— that makes it even more important that we reach those who are.

We won’t give up on keeping rapid tests free in Boston! But if we’re not able to raise these funds, we may have to reduce the tests we buy so we can continue our focus on mask distribution efforts. We encourage folks to continue requesting masks and tests for pickup or delivery and visiting our distribution hubs across the Boston area.

Our community has shown us unbelievable support, and we are so grateful for those who make this work possible (that’s you!). We’ll keep you updated here and on Instagram. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to shoot us an email.

In solidarity,

The Boston COVID Action Team <3

Thank you to everyone who has made our community safer this year by masking, testing, and donating resources! Starting January 18, 2025, we are entering a restructuring period to do some much-needed internal housekeeping and make our work more effective and sustainable for the long haul. This means we are temporarily slowing down our pace of mask and test deliveries and prioritizing offering pickup options. Note: we are not shutting down nor entirely eliminating deliveries.

Please see more details about our interim distro structure and our intentions for this period below. Thank you so much to our community for your support and patience. Please contact us at BostonCOVIDAction@proton.me with any questions!

How can I access free masks and tests during this period?

Wherever possible, please make use of the new Boston Free COVID Resources Guide which lists multiple free pickup options for masks and tests across the city that do not require filling out our request form, including public libraries, BCA hubs in Hyde Park, Dorchester, and Somerville, and more.

If none of those options work for you, you are welcome to fill out our request form. It now includes multiple porch pickup locations across the city and a limited number of deliveries for those who cannot access pickups. Note: We can’t guarantee urgent or specific time frames for delivery. However, we will always contact you to let you know whether we can fulfill your request.

If you submitted a request before this announcement, we’ll contact you as usual and offer pickup options in addition to delivery.

You will notice we’re asking folks to please choose pickup options wherever possible. This helps reduce the number of deliveries we make to preserve our limited capacity for reconfiguring our distro system and prioritize those who cannot access pickup options. 

Why are we choosing to slow down and restructure?

Since we started distributing masks in October 2023 and rapid tests in January 2024, we’ve been organizing in a perpetual crisis mode—because the COVID crisis has been neverending.

As the state has chosen to privatize and dwindle mitigation resources into obscurity, the demand for free mask and test distribution has grown. At the same time, political resistance to pandemic erasure and mutual aid organizing has created an evolving consensus around masking and testing as a practice in parts of our community. (Thank you to everyone who has taken up this struggle! Special shoutout to our fellow mask blocs all over the world). This all means that demand for free and fast mask and test delivery has ballooned way beyond what we were initially structured to handle. As a nearly 100% disabled team fielding up to a dozen delivery requests per day, we’ve been operating beyond our collective capacity for a long time. This means we’ve struggled to find the necessary time and energy to adapt our systems while overwhelmed by the everyday work of distribution (much less the everyday work of staying alive).

We’ve learned that you can’t build much less repair a car while it’s driving at full speed. We are slowing down because we want to stick around and grow into something even better and more grounded in our liberatory goals. We want to meet people’s needs sustainably for the long term rather than ending in burnout, stagnation, or disappearance.

This approach embodies our stated values around disability justice, crip time, and COVID organizing as one piece of the long haul fight against racism, capitalism, imperialism, heteropatriarchy, and more. As we face multiple ongoing genocides, the growing threat of an H5N1 pandemic, and the continued willful neglect of the COVID crisis, it’s more important than ever that we invest in building resource networks and relationships that last and get shit done.

What will BCA be up to during this period?

The time and energy we save by redirecting folks to non-BCA and pickup options will be directly invested into restructuring work such as:

• devising more sustainable methods for sourcing, storing, and distributing supplies at a larger scale

• coming up with more roles and ways for community members to help and plug in

• reorienting our systems to move more information and supplies to our most marginalized community members

• doing upkeep of our organizing culture around rest, decision making, divisions of labor, goal-setting, security culture, political education, and more

We want to emphasize the importance of you, our community, during this process. Stay tuned for ways to give feedback.

When we know more about how folks can join us and help out, we’ll share more. We greatly appreciate everyone who has expressed interest in helping out, shared their ideas for new projects, donated resources, and more. At this moment, the best way to support us is monetarily through our venmo as we work towards keeping pickup options well-stocked and supplementing more options for the future.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions: BostonCOVIDAction@proton.me. 

With love and solidarity,

Boston COVID Action

Share

If you have a new resource to add to the list or have a correction, please email us at BostonCOVIDAction@proton.me. For resources beyond Boston, see the “Massachusetts” section below or visit maskbloc.org to find your local mask bloc.

Free COVID Tests & Masks

Pickup Options

• Boston COVID Action hubs - drop-in pickup of tests and masks at brick and mortar locations across the city!

• NEU Covid Response - free mask pickup at Northeastern University.

• Boston COVID Action request form - coordinated pickups of tests and masks in multiple locations across the city.

• North of Boston Mask Bloc - pickups available in Medford, Arlington, Somerville, Beverly, Salem, Lawrence, and Andover.

Delivery Options

• Boston COVID Action request form - deliveries available in and around Boston.

• North of Boston Mask Bloc - delivery in the greater Boston area available on request.

Bulk Sourcing

For events, organizations, spaces, etc looking to source their own resources in larger amounts.

• Mask and test donation guide - where to source free or cheap bulk amounts of masks and tests for events, distribution, etc.

• Lower-cost, high-quality masks - linktr.ee/buymasks

• Boston COVID Action request form - if you are a group, event, space, or organization in need of bulk amounts of masks or tests and cannot source from any of the above resources, you can fill out the form to pick up resources if in stock.

Massachusetts / Outside Boston Resources

Visit maskbloc.org to find your local mask bloc.

• CRANE Mask Bloc - free masks for rural and underserved areas of the Northeast US.

• North of Boston Mask Bloc - north of Boston and surrounding areas

• Western Mass Mask Bloc - western Massachusetts.

• Mask Bloc Berkshires - Berkshire County, MA.

• Sustainability Co-Op at Wellesley College - Wellesley, MA.

Other Resources

• Fan Club of Massachusetts - air filter and far UVC lending library for COVID safer events

• Free vaccination clinics in Boston

Community Action:

Want to get involved in advocating for improved COVID-19 policies in Boston? Check out these community action items below from the Boston Public Health Commission, Beth Israel Lahey Health, and Boston COVID Action!

1. Boston Public Health Commission is running a community health needs assessment survey through Dec 15. Fill it out and demand BPHC maintains and expands free COVID prevention resources for our community!

2. Beth Israel Lahey Health is currently running a community health needs assessment survey. Fill it out and demand masking in healthcare!

3. Please continue to sign and circulate our petition imploring BPHC to reinstate regular free rapid test availability year-round.

Community Events: 

Get Your Flu and COVID Vaccines for free! Please check out our Substack post on free vaccine opportunities in the Boston area. You can view that post here. 

Abilities Dance Boston is having their annual fall ballet on November 8th and 9th at 8 pm. Abilities Dance is a non-profit dance company in Boston that serves people with disabilities and other marginalized communities through dance and other community engagement opportunities. This event is masks-required and has sliding scale ticket options. The event will also be livestreamed. You can purchase tickets here!

Image description: A flyer for the Abilities Dance performance shows a silhouette of a ballerina dancing above a stack of books. The text is black against a tan and yellow background, which reads “Abilities Dance| Tales From the Cripts| Reimagined Fairy Tales With a Disabled Lens| Nov 8 + 9, 2024 8pm EST| livestreamed and live from the Strand Theatre on 543 Columbia Road, Boston, MA”

Hoes4Harm Redux Community Fest is happening this Saturday, November 9th from 6:30-9:30PM, providing resources and a space to discuss the importance of harm reduction! This is a mask-required event located at 5 Callender St. in Cambridge and online. For more information, visit their in-person and virtual event pages!

Paps4ThePpl is a mask-required pap smear drop-in and pelvic floor support space on Sunday, November 10th from 10am-1pm. This community event will be held at 930 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA, with a sliding scale of $18-72. For registration and more details of the event, visit here!

R!SK is a mask-required, sober space drag and burlesque show happening on Wednesday, November 20th at 8PM (doors open 7:30 PM). Tickets are on a pay what you can scale from $10-30, located at The Foundry, 101 Rogers St. in Cambridge. You can sign up to perform/ get your tickets at linktr.ee/Aster_Rsk!

Do you have a business or event that is mask-required? Check out this amazing resource list of Why We Require Masks for information on the importance of enforcing COVID-19 precautions in public spaces and events!

Reminders:

Local Resources 

You can continue to request free rapid tests, KN95, and N95 masks with our request form. Please note that we are operating on a lower capacity and cannot guarantee a timeframe for deliveries. Thank you for your understanding.

Resources for Pickup

If you’d like resources faster than we can deliver them or prefer to pick up, consider visiting our BCA hub locations in Dorchester and Hyde Park.

1. The City School, 15 Ramsey St., Dorchester, MA, 02125

   

   Image description: 3M Aura N95s, Chendge KN95s, and rapid tests are set up on a table along with an air filter and pink flowers in a vase.

2. Boston Acupuncture Project, 72 Fairmount Ave, Boston, MA 02136

Image description: black and white KN95s set up on a table at Boston Acupuncture Project.

Additionally, we found that free rapid tests are available for pickup at the following locations at various times: 

• Voices of Liberation - 484b Centre St, Jamaica Plain

• Lucy Parsons Center - 358 Centre St A, Jamaica Plain

• Charlesview Community Center - 123 Antwerp St, Brighton

• Cambridge Public Health Department - 119 Windsor St, Cambridge

• Daily Table Grocery Roxbury - 2201 Washington St, Roxbury
  

We have also found free rapid tests at multiple Boston Public Library sites, but cannot confirm that all sites are stocked with tests at this time. Please call ahead to check that these locations have tests before visiting, we cannot confirm how long they will have them!

Monthly Updates

Supplies Distributed

This month, we distributed a total of 2883 masks and 1615 tests. The total amount of resources delivered this year is 41,899 and the overall number of resources distributed since we’ve launched is 59,208.

Fundraising + Purchases

This month, we received $581 in donations, spent $679.58, and have a current balance of  $1,014.13 as of November 1st. We purchased 2000 BYD KN95s and 600 Blox N95s.

Thank you for your support in helping us continue to provide resources to our community!

Image description: A chart summarizing BCA’s purchases in October. There are four columns: “Product Type”, “Quantity”, “Cost”, “Sourcing.” BCA purchased 2000 BYD KN95s from Planet Halo for $520.20 and 600 Blox N95s from BloxDirect for $159.38. 

Receipts

Image descriptions: Two images of receipts from BCA’s October purchases. The first image shows 2000 BYD KN95s from Planet Halo for $520.20, and the second image shows 600 Blox N95s bought from BloxDirect for $159.38.

Solidarity,

Boston COVID Action

The Boston Public Health Commission is hosting free flu and COVID vaccine clinics at Boston City Hall, 1 City Hall Sq. on:

• Monday, October 21, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. in Room 801

• Thursday, October 24, 1 - 5 p.m. in Room 115

The following state vaccine clinics are also happening in Boston on these dates:

• Wednesday, October 23, 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. at 179 Amory St., Jamaica Plain

• Thursday, October 24, 2:30 p.m. - 6 p.m. at 100 Maxwell St., Dorchester

• Friday, October 25, 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. at 2053R Columbus Ave., Roxbury

• Monday, October 28, 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. at 90 South St., Jamaica Plain

• Tuesday, October 29, 12 p.m. - 5 p.m. at 621 Huntington Ave., Boston

• Thursday, November 7, 2 p.m. - 4 p.m. at 35 Hansborough St., Dorchester

• Wednesday, November 13, 11 a.m. - 1p.m. at 120 Poplar St., Roslindale

More dates, access info, and registration info here!

City of Somerville

The City of Somerville is also offering a flu, high-dose flu, Pfizer COVID and Moderna COVID vaccines at their upcoming clinics.

• Mon, October 21, 12:30 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. at 167 Holland St.

• Wed, November 6, 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. at 42 Cross St.

• Wed, November 13, 1:15 - 3:00 p.m. at 50 Evergreen Ave

More dates and info here!

Statewide

Community centers are also hosting a number of free, mobile vaccine clinics to get COVID and flu vaccines out this fall! No identification or insurance necessary. You can find the full list of dates, times, and locations here. We’ve listed some below:

• Lowell on Thursday, October 17

• Northfield on Thursday, October 17

• Greenfield on Thursday, October 18

• Mission Hill, Boston on Saturday, October 19

• Framingham on Saturday, October 19

• Worcester on Tuesday, October 22

• Jamaica Plain, Boston on Wednesday, October 23

In your home

The state is also offering this in-home vaccination program with sign ups online.

Other stuff that is happening

• November 10, 10-1pm in Cambridge: Drop-in pap smear and pelvic floor support space - masks required, sliding scale!

Thank you for subscribing to our Substack. As always, you can request masks and tests, contact us, and find more information about our work here.

Reminders:

Local Resources 

You can continue to request free rapid tests, KN95, and N95 masks with our request form. Please note delivery may take longer than usual as we work through a large influx of requests (up to 2-3 weeks)!

Resources for Pickup

If you’d like resources faster than we can deliver them or prefer to pick up, consider visiting our BCA hub locations in Dorchester and Hyde Park.

1. The City School, 15 Ramsey St., Dorchester, MA, 02125

Image description: 3M Aura N95s, Chendge KN95s, and rapid tests are set up on a table along with an air filter and pink flowers in a vase.

2. Boston Acupuncture Project, 72 Fairmount Ave, Boston, MA 02136

Image description: black and white KN95s set up on a table at Boston Acupuncture Project.

Additionally, we found that free rapid tests are available for pickup at the following locations at various times: 

• Voices of Liberation - 484b Centre St, Jamaica Plain

• Lucy Parsons Center - 358 Centre St A, Jamaica Plain

• Charlesview Community Center - 123 Antwerp St, Brighton

• Cambridge Public Health Department - 119 Windsor St, Cambridge

• Daily Table Grocery Roxbury - 2201 Washington St, Roxbury
  
  

We have also found free rapid tests at multiple Boston Public Library sites, but cannot confirm that all sites are stocked with tests at this time. Please call ahead to check that these locations have tests before visiting, we cannot confirm how long they will have them!

COVID-19 Levels and Resources

According to Boston’s wastewater monitoring through September 29th, COVID-19 levels have decreased since last month, and are currently low citywide. However, a few neighborhoods currently have higher levels, such as Allston/Brighton, Roxbury, and East Boston. To keep up with COVID-19 levels and trends in your Boston neighborhood, visit Boston’s COVID-19 wastewater viral summary here. For COVID-19 monitoring in the US, check out People’s CDC monthly COVID-19 weather report.

Image description: Table of Boston neighborhood COVID-19 wastewater levels and trends. In the past two weeks through September 29th, Allston/Brighton indicated very high COVID-19 levels in their wastewater, while high levels were found in Roxbury and East Boston, moderate levels in Back Bay, Roslindale/West Roxbury, and Jamaica Plain, low levels in Charlestown and Mattapan, and very low levels in Dorchester and Hyde Park. Overall, Boston has low levels of 606 copies/mL. 

The HHS is sending 4 free rapid tests to households who register here! Be sure to sign up to get them delivered to your home soon!

Community News: 

Open Streets Allston/ Brighton

We’re so excited to be tabling at Open Streets Allston/ Brighton on Sunday, October 20th! This event connects communities to local businesses, organizations, and people throughout the city. Stop by our table anytime between 10:30 AM - 5:00 PM at Brighton Ave. and Harvard Ave. for masks, rapid tests, information on COVID safety, and to request for more resources. Check here for more information about Open Streets Boston. We can’t wait to see you there!

Image description: Flyer for Open Streets Boston in Allston/Brighton on October 20, 2024 from 10:30AM- 5:00PM. The image shows a gray map of the intersection of Brighton Ave. and Harvard. Ave. in yellow lines, where Cambridge St. and Commonwealth Ave. are above and below the intersection respectively. There are three zones where zone 1 is located at the intersection of Cambridge street and Brighton Ave., zone 2 is at the intersection of Cambridge St. and Harvard Ave., and zone 3 is located at the intersection of Harvard Ace and Commonwealth Ave. There are two MBTA stations: Harvard MBTA station is located at zone 3 and Packards Corner MBTA station is located east of the intersection of Brighton Ave. and Lindsey St.

Monthly Updates

Supplies Distributed

This month, we distributed a total of 2489 masks and 1835 tests. The total amount of resources delivered this year is 37,401 and the overall number of resources distributed since we’ve launched is 53,148. 

Fundraising + Purchases:

This month, we received $437 in donations, spent $46.72, and have a current balance of  $1,112.61 as of October 1st. We purchased 300 paper bags from Amazon. 

Thank you for your support in helping us continue to provide resources to our community!

Image description: A chart summarizing BCA’s purchases in September. There are four columns: “Product Type”, “Quantity”, “Price”, “Sourcing.” BCA purchased 300 paper bags from Amazon for $46.72. 

Receipts

Image descriptions: A receipt from an Amazon purchase of 300 paper bags for $46.72.

Reminders:

Local Resources 

You can continue to request free rapid tests, KN95, and N95 masks with our request form. Please note delivery may take longer than usual as we work through a large influx of requests (up to 2-3 weeks)!

Resources for Pickup

If you’d like resources faster than we can deliver them or prefer to pick up, consider visiting our BCA hub locations in Dorchester and Hyde Park.

Additionally, this month we found that free rapid tests are available for pickup at the following locations at various times: 

• Voices of Liberation - 484b Centre St, Jamaica Plain

• Lucy Parsons Center - 358 Centre St A, Jamaica Plain

• Charlesview Community Center - 123 Antwerp St, Brighton

• Cambridge Public Health Department - 119 Windsor St, Cambridge

• Daily Table Grocery Roxbury - 2201 Washington St, Roxbury

Additionally, we have found free rapid tests at multiple Boston Public Library sites, but cannot confirm that all sites are stocked with tests at this time. Please call ahead to check that these locations have tests before visiting, we cannot confirm how long they will have them!

COVID-19 Levels and Resources

Image description: COVID-19 wastewater map of the US is in the middle of the image, where states are highlighted in dark red, red, dark orange, orange, light orange, peach, tan, light tan, light yellow, white, and gray, indicating very high to low levels respectively. The gray color indicates there is no data recorded. The map shows 47 states had very high or high levels as of August 31st. The text reads “ ‘Very High’ or ‘High’ Levels in 47 States. COVID-19 Wastewater Map as of August 31, 2024 [Last CDC Update on 29 Aug 2024]. People’s CDC. Source: CDC.”

COVID-19 levels have continued to surge since June, where it's estimated that 1 in every 33 people are infected. As of August 31st, 47 states have reported "very high" or "high" COVID-19 wastewater levels. Please continue to take precautions, and to keep yourself and your community safe in this massive surge. To stay up to date with COVID-19 levels in your neighborhood in Boston, click here! For regions outside of Boston, view current wastewater surveillance here. 

Image description: Table of Boston neighborhood COVID-19 wastewater levels and trends. Back Bay and Roslindale indicate very high levels, Charlestown and Roxbury have high levels, Hyde Park, Dorchester, Mattapan, Allston/Brighton, and Jamaica Plain indicate moderate levels, and East Boston has low levels. Overall, Boston has moderate levels of 997 copies/mL. 

The FDA has authorized updated COVID-19 vaccines (Novavax, Moderna, and Pfizer) that better protect against variants currently circulating. Check with your local pharmacy on vaccine availability and get vaccinated soon!

The government is sending 4 free rapid tests to your home! By the end of September, you can sign up here to receive them.

Community News: 

Open Streets East Boston

We’re so excited to be tabling at Open Streets East Boston on Sunday, September 15th! This event connects communities to local businesses, organizations, and people throughout the city. Stop by our table anytime between 10:00 AM- 3:30 PM for masks, rapid tests, information on COVID safety, and to request for more resources. Check here for more information about Open Streets Boston. We can’t wait to see you there!

Image description: An orange and yellow flyer for Open Streets Boston with community members centered in the middle. The top of the flyer reads in black text “East Boston. Bennington St. and Prescott St. to Meridian St. and London St.” There is white and black text from the middle to bottom of the flyer which reads “Sunday, October 15 10am- 3:30pm. Family fun zone. Live art & entertainment. 0.9 miles of car free engagement. Health and wellness. Boston.gov/open-streets. City of Boston”

Boston Children’s Museum Event

Boston Children’s Museum will be hosting a masked-required event for all visitors and staff this Saturday on September 7th from 8:00 to 10:00 AM. Visit their website to register and find out more about the Morningstar Access Program! 

Food Not Bombs 5 Year Anniversary Show

This Saturday, September 7th, Food Not Bombs Waltham will be celebrating their 5 year anniversary! The benefit show will have incredible performers like Evan Greer, Tall Travis, and Burt Bacharach, as well as books, merch, vegan food, and community tables. This is a mask-required event with air purifiers from Fan Club MA, located at the Cambridge Community Center, 5 Callender St., Cambridge MA. Doors open at 6:30 PM, and tickets are $20 or pay what you can. Visit their IG page for more information!

Stop Mask Bans

Several universities in the Boston area have begun adopting policies that discourage or ban masks on their campuses in various situations (see: Northeastern, Emerson) in line with the push to ban masks and target protestors around the country. We urge those with ties to local universities to voice their opposition to unmasking rules.

Looking to take action in the fight against mask bans? Check out StopMaskBans.com for ways to support the national fight as well as local efforts in New York and Los Angeles. We must come together to resist criminalization of our right to protect ourselves and our community from COVID-19 and surveillance. Take action now!

Monthly Updates

Supplies Distributed

From July through the end of August, we distributed a total of 4398 masks and 2661 tests. The total amount of resources delivered this year is 33,077 and the overall number of resources distributed since we’ve launched is 47,744. 

Fundraising + Purchases

This month, we received $446 in donations, spent $1,166.34, and have a current balance of  $723.34 as of September 1st. We purchased 50 WellBefore Large KN95s for $84.06 from WellBefore, 5720 3M Aura 1870+ N95s for $283.28 from GovDeals Auction/ National Ambulance LLC, and 2400 Kingfa White KN95s for $799 from Planet Halo Health. 

Thank you for your support in helping us continue to provide resources to our community!

Image description: A chart summarizing BCA’s purchases in August. There are four columns: “Mask Type”, “Quantity”, “Cost”, “Sourcing.” BCA purchased 50 WellBefore Large KN95s for $84.06 from WellBefore, 5720 3M Aura 1870+ N95s for $283.28 from GovDeals Auction/ National Ambulance LLC, and 2400 Kingfa White KN95s for $799 from Planet Halo Health. 

Receipts

Image descriptions: 3 pages of receipts from Planet Halo Health, Govdeals, and Wellbefore on purchases indicated in the purchases summary. 

Hubs

Looking to pick up free masks and tests in Boston? Feel free to stop by our hubs in Dorchester and Hyde Park! 

1. The City School, 15 Ramsey St., Dorchester, MA, 02125

Image description: 3M Aura N95s, Chendge KN95s, and rapid tests are set up on a table along with an air filter and pink flowers in a vase. 

2. Boston Acupuncture Project, 72 Fairmount Ave, Boston, MA 02136

Image description: black and white KN95s set up on a table at Boston Acupuncture Project.

For more information on our hubs, check out our hubs Substack page here.

To connect with us about establishing a hub in a local business or space, shoot us an email at BostonCOVIDAction@proton.me! 

Stay safe!

Boston COVID Action

Reminders

We're taking a break! All BCA mask and test requests and deliveries will be paused from Monday, July 15th through Thursday, August 1st. In alignment with our values of sustainability and disability justice, we've decided to take some time for collective rest and recovery! Our resource request form for individuals will close temporarily during our break, and we will not be able to fulfill bulk requests that come through our inbox. Email response times will also be longer, and we will not be active on social media! 

Please note, we will fulfill individual and bulk requests at our usual pace leading up our break, so we will be doing our best to catch up on deliveries before our break! 

Additional Resources:If you find yourself in need of KN95s or N95s during our break, please see details about our community hubs in Hyde Park and Dorchester below! 

Thank you all for your patience and for helping us honor our capacities and keep distribution going for the long-term! 

Hubs

New hub announcement: We’re excited to announce our second hub location at The City School, located at 614 Columbia Rd, Dorchester, MA 02125! The City School has Chengde KN95s, 3M Auras, and rapid tests available for walk-in pickup from Monday- Thursdays 11 am - 5 pm. The City School will be on pause and this hub will be unavailable from August 18th to September 16th. You can learn more about The City School’s accessibility here.

Image description: 3M Aura N95s, Chendge KN95s, and rapid tests are set up on a table along with an air filter and pink flowers in a vase. 

Please feel free to stop by our Hyde Park hub at Boston Acupuncture Project! 

Image description: black and white KN95s set up on a table at Boston Acupuncture Project.

For more information on our hubs, check out our hubs Substack page here.

To connect with us about establishing a hub in a local business or space, shoot us an email at BostonCOVIDAction@proton.me! 

Community News

Recent Mask Bans in NC, NY, and CA

We are infuriated to see mask bans being considered into law in North Carolina, New York, and California. Mask bans will put the public’s health at an even greater risk of being infected with COVID-19, especially those who are disabled, immunocompromised, chronically ill, or high-risk. Criminalization of mask-wearing will also increase harm and harassment for Black, Brown, Asian, Muslim, transgender, disabled, and unhoused individuals. We must do everything we can to fight against this from being enforced. 

To stay connected, follow groups spreading awareness and taking action: 

NC:

• Triangle Mask Bloc

• CLT Mask Bloc

NY:

• Mask Bloc NYC

• A.I.R. NYC

CA:

• Mask Bloc Sunset

Events

Boston Area Craft Circle is a queer-centered weekly craft group that asks participants to mask at their indoor meet-ups. You can find their meet-up schedule for the month of July here. 

Do you have an upcoming masks-required event? Please let us know so we can include it in our next newsletter! 

Monthly Updates

Supplies Distributed

This month, we distributed 3,650 masks and 1,214 tests to bring our total amount of supplies delivered this year to 26,018 and overall number of resources distributed to 37,701.

Stock Updates

This month, we received a donation of 200 ACI N95s (duckbill) and 50 Aegle N95s. We appreciate our community members for donating supplies and continuous support in helping us purchase resources. Thank you so much!

Volunteers

Onboarding has paused for now, but we are looking forward to expanding our team in the future!

Fundraising + Purchases

This month we received $238 in donations, spent $0, and have a current balance of $1,426.56 as of June 30th. 

Please note: In the future, you will likely see funds used for tabling supplies, distribution supplies, tech support (emails and storage needs) in addition to purchases for masks and tests. We appreciate all of your support and are happy to answer any questions!

Solidarity,

Boston COVID Action

Image description: on a purple background with a solid white border, white text reads “We’re taking a break!” There is a graphic of Snoopy resting on a pillow next to the BCA logo of a white chain breaking in a purple circle. Below this image there is text reading “Requests and deliveries will pause July 15th through August 1st. Please read below for more details!”

All BCA mask and test requests and deliveries will be paused from Monday, July 15th through Thursday, August 1st.

In alignment with our values of sustainability and disability justice, we've decided to take some time for collective rest and recovery! Our resource request form for individuals will close temporarily during our break, and we will not be able to fulfill bulk requests that come through our inbox. Email response times will also be longer, and we will not be active on social media.

If you anticipate needing supplies during our break, we highly encourage you put in a request by July 1st to ensure it will be delivered before the 15th. Please note, we will fulfill individual and bulk requests at our usual pace leading up our break, so we can't guarantee we will get to everyone if we see a large influx.

Additional Resources: If you find yourself in need of KN95s or N95s during our break, please see details about our community hub in Hyde Park (Boston Acupuncture Project) in their dedicated hub post. Thank you all for your patience and for helping us honor our capacities and keep distribution going for the long-term! Stay cool and stay safe.

Solidarity,

Boston COVID Action

Community News: 

Upcoming Events in June:

The Boston Dyke March

We are excited to announce we will be tabling at the Boston Dyke March on June 7th beginning at 6:00 PM! This is an outdoor, masks-required event with tabling at the Boston Common and a march through the city. Please stop by our table to meet us, try out N95 models, and pick up resources on COVID information (really awesome zines!). 

Open Streets Roxbury

We are excited to announce we will be tabling at Open Streets Roxbury on Saturday, June 22nd! This event connects communities to local businesses, organizations, and people throughout the city. Stop by our table anytime between 10:30- 5:00 PM for masks, information on COVID safety, and to request for more resources. Check here for more information about Open Streets Boston. We can’t wait to see you there!

Image Description: An orange flyer for Open Streets Boston with community members pictured in the center. The black text reads: Blue Hill Ave. Roxbury Between Warren St. and West Cottage St. Saturday, June 22nd from 10:30AM-5:00PM. Family fun zone, live art and entertainment, health and wellness, .8 miles of car free engagement. Boston.gov/open-streets. City of Boston.

Boston Children’s Museum

Boston Children’s Museum will be hosting masked-required dates for all visitors and staff on June 1st from 8:00 to 10:00 AM and on September 7th from 8:00 to 10:00 AM. Visit their website to find out more. They will also be hosting some mask optional (staff masking required, visitor masking optional) events throughout July and August. 

Past Events this Month:

Performers for Palestine

We were happy to provide masks for Performers for Palestine this month. All ticket sale proceeds were donated to fundraisers for Palestinians. Thank you for providing a safe event, and much solidarity in amplifying Palestinian voices and raising funds in supporting them. 

All 4 U Boston’s Queer Pop Party

This month, we also distributed to All 4 U Boston’s Queer Pop Party at O'Brien's Pub in Allston. Thank you for encouraging a safer event! 

We are so excited to be a part of providing safer events! Do you have an event you’re interested in requiring masks for? Feel free to email us at bostoncovidaction@proton.me for a bulk request!

Monthly Updates

Supplies Distributed

This month, we distributed 2,080 masks and 781 tests to bring our total amount of supplies delivered this year to 21,154 and overall number of resources distributed to 32,837.

Stock Updates

This month we purchased 600 kids masks– KF94s from Kollecte, A&P KF94s, and Powecom Small KN95s– and received a donation of 170 Powecom KN95s. Thank you to our community members for donating supplies and your support in helping us purchase respirators!

Volunteers

Onboarding has paused for now, but we are looking forward to expanding our team in the future!

Fundraising + Purchases

As of May 29th, we’ve received $325 in donations, spent $739.65, and have a current balance of $1,188.65. 

Image description: Chart with a white background and black text titled “Purchases Summary.” The chart lists the mask type, quantity, cost, and sourcing. The purchases include 200 Powecom black small/kids KN95s from Bona Fide Masks for $151.41, 100 A&P gray kids KF94s from Planet Halo Health for $67.50, 100 A&P pink kids KF94s from Planet Halo Health for $67.50, 100 Kollecte gray kids KF94s from Kollecte USA for $63.75, 100 Kollecte yellow kids KF94s from Kollecte USA for $63.75, 200 Kollecte black and white kids KF94s from Kollecte USA for $114.84, 200 brown paper bags (for distribution) from Amazon for $43.45, 100 BNX Tri-fold N95s from Amazon for $127.45, and a $40 tabling fee for Boston Dyke March.

Receipts

Image description: Image description: Screenshot of receipts from Amazon, Planet Halo Health, Kollecte USA, Bona Fide Masks, and Venmo for purchases in May. Details included above in the purchases summary.

Hubs

Please feel free to stop by our Hyde Park hub at Boston Acupuncture Project! 

Image description: black and white KN95s set up on a table at Boston Acupuncture Project.

For more information on our hubs, check out our hubs Substack page here.

To connect with us about establishing a hub in a local business or space, shoot us an email at BostonCOVIDAction@proton.me! 

Reminders

The FDA has recently released a warning on the use of Cue Health COVID-19 Tests because of a risk of false results. The reliability of the tests changed when the company changed the detection formula for COVID genetic material. Read the statement here.

Thank you for staying safe!

Solidarity,

Boston COVID Action

Community Notice

A major source of our rapid tests we distribute are from Boston Public Health Commission's rapid test distribution program. BPHC has decided to pause all rapid test distribution from May 1st through “cold and flu season” in the fall. In internal communications with distribution hubs such as ourselves, they cited limited resources and a lack of public demand. We know COVID does not only peak seasonally but also throughout the year, and that a lack of free testing resources will result in thousands of preventable infections. We cannot let this decision go unchallenged.

To address this decision, we have accumulated 7888 rapid tests from BPHC that we hope will carry us through the fall. We will continue to offer tests as usual but may eventually run low on stock. Please bear with us as we navigate this period of more limited resources!

We would appreciate you joining us in this call to action. Here are some action steps you can take: 

1. Sign our petition urging BPHC to extend their distribution year-round

2. Call the mayor’s health board at 617-534-5393 or the BPHC director at 617-534-5395

3. Email BPHC at info@bphc.org 

4. Grab rapid tests at BPHC hubs to show demand as they will pause 5/1

Sample script: 

“Hello, I am calling today to express concern about BPHC’s decision to pause rapid test distribution until the fall. COVID-19 does not only peak seasonally but also throughout the year, and this lack of free testing resources will result in thousands of preventable infections. My community relies on these tests and it is BPHC’s job to keep us safe and healthy. Please reconsider this decision and continue to provide tests through the spring and summer. Thanks!” 

If relevant, you can mention your name, where you live/work in Boston, and any organizational affiliations that are relevant.

Community news

Supporting Gatherings

This month we were able to support Glass Beach in creating a covid-safer entertainment environment by providing masks. Shout out to safer shows! Check out Glass Beach here!

We were also able to support a number of student encampments throughout the Boston area protesting against Israel’s genocide on Palestine and for university divestment from companies tied to the Israeli occupation. We are proud to see students taking a stand for collective liberation and keeping their communities safe by masking, and are so happy to have been able to materially support them. 

Open Streets Boston 

We are so excited to announce that we’ll be tabling at Open Streets Boston in Dorchester this upcoming Sunday (5/5)! This event connects communities to local businesses, organizations, and people throughout the city. Stop by our table anytime between 10:30- 5:00 PM for masks, information on COVID safety, and to request for more resources. Check here for more information about Open Streets Boston. We can’t wait to see you there!

Image description: An orange flyer for Open Streets Boston with community members pictured in the center. The text reads: Open Streets Boston. Sunday, May 5th from 10:30AM-5:00PM. Family fun zone, live art and entertainment, health and wellness, 1.3 miles of car free engagement. Located at Dorchester Ave., between Ashmont St. and Linden St. Street closed at 9AM. Activities start at 10:30 AM. Questions? Email us at infor@openstreetsboston.org or call 311. Boston.goc/open-streets. City of Boston”

Boston Dyke March

We are excited to announce we will be tabling at the Boston Dyke March on June 7th. This is a masks required outdoor event that will have tabling at the Boston Common and include a march throughout Boston. We hope to see you there!

Monthly Updates

Supplies Distributed

This month, we distributed 1,846 masks and 555 tests to bring our total amount of supplies delivered this year to 18,293 and overall number of resources distributed to 29,245.

Stock Updates

This month we purchased 700 large white KF94s from Mask Bloc Seattle. We also received 3,000 black KN95s from Somerville Bike Kitchen and 7,888 tests from BPHC. 

Thank you to our fellow bloc organizers for making these resources accessible to those of us in Boston! Thank you to Somerville Bike Kitchen for your donation and BPHC for providing us with tests!

Volunteers

Onboarding has paused for now, but we are looking forward to expanding our team in the future!

Fundraising + Purchases

This month, we received $345 in donations, spent $49.85 on KF94s from Mask Bloc Seattle, and have a current balance of $1,603.21. 

Image description: A table of a summary of mask purchases in April: 700 HAC KF94s for $49.85 from Mask Bloc Seattle. 

Receipts

Image description: A receipt for the payment of 700 HAC KF94 masks from Mask Bloc Seattle. 

Hubs

Please feel free to stop by our Hyde Park hub at Boston Acupuncture Project! 

Image description: black and white KN95s set up on a table at Boston Acupuncture Project.

For more information on our hubs, check out our hubs Substack page here.

To connect with us about establishing a hub in a local business or space, shoot us an email at BostonCOVIDAction@proton.me! 

Thank you for continuing to stay safe!

Solidarity,

Boston COVID Action

Supplies Distributed

This month, we distributed 3,189 masks and 1,737 tests to bring our total amount of supplies delivered this year to 15,892 and overall number of resources distributed to 23,894. 

Stock Update

This month, our stock has been updated to include both new and enhanced resources below:

• 1804s VFlex (small) N95

• Chengde White KN95 

• [NEW] KimTech N95

• 3M Aura 9205+ N95

• [NEW] RespoKare (large) N95

• BNX Tri-Fold N95

• ReadiMasks

• COVID-19 rapid tests (expire 11/02)

We greatly appreciate our community for continuing to support our resource distribution. Thank you to Beacon Hill Friends House for donating Chengde White KN95s and to our community members for donating VFlex (small) N95s and KimTech N95s. Thank you again to Charlotte Mask Bloc, People's PPE, and Mask Bloc NYC for helping us acquire 3M Aura 9205+ and RespoKare N95s! 

More details on purchases made this month for respirators are included below. 

Get Involved

We are currently looking for a volunteer to join our team to support the expansion of our resource distribution capacity in these areas:

• East Boston

• Quincy

• Roxbury

• Dorchester

• Mattapan

If you or someone you know can store masks and tests and distribute them by car, bike, or public transportation in the areas above, please email us at BostonCOVIDAction@proton.me. 

Fundraising + Purchases

As of March 31st, we received $490 in donations, spent $559.85 on supplies, and have a current balance of $1,208.06. 

Image description: A table of a summary of mask purchases in March: 300 BNX N95s for $382.35 from Amazon and 250 ReadiMasks for $177.50 from Alliant Biotech.

Receipts

Image description: A screenshot of multiple receipts from Amazon and ReadiMask for purchases of BNX Trifold N95s and ReadiMasks.

Hubs

Please feel free to stop by our Hyde Park hub at Boston Acupuncture Project! 

Image description: black and white KN95s set up on a table at Boston Acupuncture Project.

For more information on our hubs, check out our hubs Substack page here.

To connect with us about establishing a hub in a local business or space, shoot us an email at BostonCOVIDAction@proton.me! 

Reminders

This March, we had a large push on distributing rapid tests with 4/05 and 4/14 expiration dates. Thank you to the community for the requests and uptake of these tests. During this time we expanded individual request limits to 20 per person. This number will return to 10 as the April stock becomes fully distributed, allowing us to resource more community members. 

Community News

On April 17th, QTthreads, a queer and trans communal clothing making group, will be hosting a clothing mending workshop session. This group is grounded in queer and trans self-determination and is a mask-required space. For more information, click this link!

Check out JEG Massage, a masks-required massage business in Cambridge!

Thank you for continuing to stay safe!

Solidarity,

Boston COVID Action

Supplies Distributed 

This month, we distributed 1,554 masks and 411 tests to bring our total amount of supplies delivered this year to 10,966 and overall number of resources distributed to 21,427. 

Surge Hotline Closed

Our January surge hotline has come to a close. Thank you to all our distribution volunteers in that period of rapid response and high volume! As wastewater COVID presence remains at high levels, please continue to use our request form and specify the urgency of your request. 

Volunteers

We are not currently onboarding new members, but keep your eyes peeled for calls for distributors in the future. 

Rapid Test Guidance

Rapid tests have varying efficacy depending on the brand and testing method. Repeat rapid testing is the best way to maximize their accuracy. Check out the documents linked here and here (courtesy of Mask Up Pittsburg!) for better rapid testing guidance.

Fundraising and Purchases

In February, we have received $180 in donations, spent $1,773.86 on supplies, and have a current balance of $1,277.91. 

Due to a generous influx of donations in January, we were able to add 6 new mask styles in 5 sizes to our stock, greatly expanding options for our community. Thank you for your donations— they get masks on faces and allow people to try different options to see what works for them!

Purchases Summary

Receipts for Purchases

Below we have provided a screenshot our receipts for purchases made in February, 2024.

Image description: A screenshot of multiple receipts from Ebay, The People’s PPE, Mask Bloc NYC, Amazon, Be Healthy, Fisher Scientific, and ReadiMask for purchases of 3M Aura 9205+s, 3m Aura 9210+s, BNX Trifold N95s, BOTN KF94s, Moldex N95s, and ReadiMasks.

For any purchase we make outside of verified PPE distributers, we will always check for authenticity. The 3M Aura 9210+ masks we purchased from eBay have been verified through 3M’s Safe Guard Product Authentication process.

Thank you to Charlotte Mask Bloc, People's PPE, and Mask Bloc NYC for helping us acquire 3M Aura 9205+ masks! 

Thank you to everyone who supports us! Our mission could not be realized without you.

As always, if you’d like to support us financially, our Venmo is @BostonCovidAction. Community members who request supplies are never expected to donate. We encourage those with the privilege to source their own masks to consider pitching in for those who need support. If you have bulk amounts of verified KN95/N95 masks or unexpired rapid tests on hand to donate, please email us at bostoncovidaction@proton.me. 

For more information about donations and purchases, check out our substack page on fundraising here.

Hubs

Hubs are local organizations that receive masks from us to make freely available for walk-in pickup. We envision hubs as a helpful supplement to our home delivery system which will continue to serve everyone within our service area - no one will be asked to enter a hub to get their masks unless they want to. Instead, we hope hubs will introduce community members who are less reachable online to high-filtration masks and provide a speedier pickup option for those in areas where our service capacity is lower. 

After much deliberation, we’ve decided to prioritize partnering with organizations that implement COVID safety precautions like masking, testing, ventilation, and filtration in their spaces. However, given the dwindling number of masks required spaces and the importance of expanding access to high-filtration masks in a variety of ways across the city, it’s likely that not all BCA hubs will be masks required spaces. For those who can’t risk even briefly entering these spaces, we understand; our home delivery system will continue to provide a contactless option. 

New hub announcement: We are excited to introduce our first hub, Boston Acupuncture Project,  located at 74 Fairmount Ave, Hyde Park, MA 02136! They are a masks required space and will have KN95/N95 masks on a table just inside and to the right of the front door for anyone to take. Come check them out! 

Image description: Black and White KN95s set up on a table at Boston Acupuncture Project.

Current masks available: Chengde KN95, adult regular size in white and black. Blox duckbill N95. Powecom Small KN95 in black, for children and small adults.

For updated hours and accessibility information, visit BAP’s website.

For more information on our hubs, check out our hubs Substack page here.

To connect with us about establishing a hub in a local business or space, shoot us an email at BostonCOVIDAction@proton.me! 

Community News 

For COVID safer events and community spaces, check out the Democracy Center shows, the Lucy Parsons Center, and Made by Me pottery studio.

If you’re looking to borrow air purifiers and Far UV tech for a DIY show, look no further than Fan Club! Visit https://fan-club.neocities.org to read more about this clean air lending library and reserve supplies. We appreciate their work to make events like the Democracy Center shows safer and more accessible. 

Stay safe and look out for each other.

Solidarity,
Boston COVID Action