Nashua Mayor Jim Donchess receives a donation of masks from Masks for New Hampshire, a private and philanthropic-sector initiative spearheaded by SoClean Inc.

NASHUA – The city of Nashua received a generous donation of 3,000 masks from Masks for New Hampshire, a private and philanthropic-sector initiative spearheaded by SoClean Inc. of Peterborough.

Mayor Jim Donchess was on hand to personally receive the boxes on Saturday.

Kim Kleiner, director of administrative services for the city, said the program’s mission is to provide protective masks to the Granite State health care community, which is in dire need of supplies.

“We were contacted by Jorge Ortiz, who is a member of our community,” she said. “In the past, Jorge has put on the Latino Festival each year for the past four years. We were recently told that they were making this donation to the first responders of Nashua.”

The Masks for New Hampshire masks are available to all health care, EMS and emergency services members.

SoClean and its partners have been able to source upward of 250,000 masks, including both KN95 (N95 equivalent) and three-ply medical masks (ATSM equivalent).

The masks are offered free of charge to help health care facilities bridge a short-term gap until additional supplies become available.

“Ortiz reached out to us to let us know that the company that he works for, SoClean, is distributing masks and PPE to local municipalities,” Kleiner said. “That includes nursing homes, hospitals, and they’re making this donation.”

SoClean manufactures CPAP sanitizing equipment. For mask information, email masksfornh@soclean.com.