Indian-origin teen in US does her bit to protect homeless people from coronavirus

A 15-year-old Indian-origin teen in the US has donated more than 150 coronavirus sanitation kits to the homeless and set up an account to raise funds to expand her initiative, according to a media report.

Shaivi Shah recruited her fellow Tesoro High School honor society members to assemble kits of hand sanitizer, antibacterial soap, lotion and reusable masks for distribution to help people experiencing homelessness in the middle of a pandemic, CNN reported. "They don't have necessities right now that are crucial to remain clean and stay germ-free," Shaivi said.

California Governor Gavin Newsom's recent speech about the state's homeless problem sparked her idea. So far, the efforts of the passionate student has led to the delivery of more than 150 low-cost sanitation kits to three Los Angeles shelters.

According to the US Interagency Council on Homelessness, on any given day, more than 150,000 Californians are living in homelessness the most of any US state. Shaivi feared they might be forgotten in this time of social distancing. The teen from Rancho Santa Margarita started a GoFundMe account to raise funds to expand her program throughout California and the US.

"These people that are living on the streets, they have no protection, so even a small amount could help." More than 275,000 people worldwide including nearly 20,000 people in the United States have been infected with the new coronavirus.

At least 100 people in the United States have now died from coronavirus, according to an unofficial count compiled by researchers at Johns Hopkins University, and the disease has spread to all 50 states. 

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