Carilion, the region’s largest hospital organization, is seeking help from community organizations, corporations and families whom they are asking to donate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in anticipation of the Coronavirus emergency. The equipment will be used locally in helping those suffering from the virus, which is expected to expand exponentially in coming weeks.
Carilion emphasizes that it will only accept manufactured items, though it will keep open the option of accepting handmade items in the future.
Roanoke interviews of those with items to donate begin Tuesday, March 24 at noon at the Tanglewood Mall collection site, where J.C. Penney formerly stood. It is the home of the new Carilion Children’s clinic, under construction.
Contact Hannah Curtis if you want to be interviewed:540-266-6594 or hrcline@carilionclinic.org. Carilion will conduct interviews near each of its hospitals in the region, including Franklin County, Lexington, Giles, Wytheville and the New River Valley. Details are not complete for all the interview schedules.
Here’s what Carilion needs:
- Latex-free gloves
- Procedural masks Â
- Surgical masksÂ
- Surgical masks with shieldÂ
- Nasal swabs for medical use  
- N95 respirators and N95 filters
- Other respirators (P100’s, PAPR’s, and PAPR supplies/parts) Â
- Face shields Â
- Splash shields
- Gowns Â
- Hand sanitizer, greater than 60 percent alcoholÂ
- Hand soapÂ
- Disposable shoe covers
- Disinfecting wipes Â
 Drop-off locations and hours are: 
Franklin County: Franklin County High School, Opens today. 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
New River Valley: Radford University Armstrong Complex, Parking Lot E. Dates and times to be determined.
Roanoke Valley : Tanglewood Mall Parking Lot beginning March 24 at noon.
About the Writer:
Dan Smith is an award-winning Roanoke-based writer/author/photographer and a member of the Virginia Communications Hall of Fame (Class of 2010). His blog, fromtheeditr.com, is widely read and he has authored seven books, including the novel CLOG! He is founding editor of a Roanoke-based business magazine and a former Virginia Small Business Journalist of the Year (2005).
