{"id":939,"date":"2020-05-08T19:47:38","date_gmt":"2020-05-08T19:47:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/utia-dev.tennessee.edu\/news\/?p=939"},"modified":"2020-05-08T20:02:39","modified_gmt":"2020-05-08T20:02:39","slug":"ut-extension-assists-with-mask-distribution","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/utia-dev.tennessee.edu\/news\/ut-extension-assists-with-mask-distribution\/","title":{"rendered":"UT Extension Assists with Mask Distribution"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Effort Differs from County to County<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

KNOXVILLE,\nTenn. \u2014 Often referred to as the University of Tennessee\u2019s \u201cfront porch,\u201d UT\nExtension has a new calling: to serve as a public health lifeline\nin many of the state\u2019s rural and suburban communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As most of the state faces the task of reopening businesses\nand public spaces in a safe manner, the issue of how to provide for public\nsafety has been among the top concern of government officials. In the most pure\ntradition of being a VOL, UT Extension has volunteered to be a resource to the\nstate in this time of need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With offices in each of the state\u2019s 95 counties, UT\nExtension will assist local county health departments as needed in the\ndistribution of facemasks across the state. The 50 county offices that are\njointly staffed with Tennessee State University Extension will also participate\nbased on local needs. The masks are being provided by the Governor\u2019s Economic\nRecovery Group, led by Mark\nEzell, Tennessee Commissioner for Tourist Development. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to public\nhealth officials, social distancing and the wearing of facemasks in public\nplaces are among the main tools available to the public to fight the spread of\nthe coronavirus at the center of the pandemic that\ncauses COVID-19. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Take Rutherford County as an example. On Friday, May 8,\nofficials with UT-TSU Extension began distribution of some 350 facemasks provided\nby the state through the Rutherford County Health Department. The masks are\nbeing given to vendors and shoppers at the Rutherford County Farmers Market.\nAccording to Anthony Tuggle, the county\u2019s director of UT-TSU Extension, the\nfarmers market is an important resource for the community as some shoppers use\nSNAP (supplemental nutrition assistance program) benefits to purchase fresh,\nnutritious produce. \u201cWe\u2019re a vital link for our community, but we want to\nensure that our market is a safe gathering place. Shoppers and vendors are\nrequired to wear masks and to practice social distancing,\u201d Tuggle confirmed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other county Extension offices will\nbe involved in mask distribution in different ways and based on local needs to\nassist in public safety. The Governor\u2019s Economic Recovery Group is supplying\nthe first wave of masks, some 300,000, to all 95 of county and municipal health\ndepartments beginning this week. Additional masks will be distributed as they\nbecome available. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cUT Extension is eager to help in the distribution of the facemasks,\u201d said Robert Burns, dean of UT Extension. \u201cExtension has a history of assisting in times of crisis and we are ready to step up to help stamp out this pandemic.\u201d In the past Extension has helped government efforts to engage the public in times of national emergency or great need including efforts associated with World War II, the Great Depression and the electrification of rural areas of the state.

UT Extension\u2019s volunteer spirit has been evident since the beginning of the pandemic. 4-H clubs and Family and Consumer Education (FCE) clubs, which are operated throughout the state in association with county Extension offices, have been supporting local medical personnel and first-responders by sewing  thousands of \u201cMasks of Love.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Through its land-grant mission of research, teaching and extension, the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture touches lives and provides Real. Life. Solutions. utia-dev.tennessee.edu<\/a>.


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