App State provides meals and masks to community partners amid COVID-19 pandemic

BOONE, N.C. — Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Appalachian State University’s Campus Emergency Operations Center has offered support — including hundreds of meals and personal protective equipment — to its local community partners.

“We are not alone in rising to the challenges presented by COVID-19,” Appalachian Chancellor Sheri Everts said. “This pandemic necessitates the utmost cooperation within our community, and we are fortunate to have strong relationships with partners throughout the town, county and region.”

To date, Appalachian has worked with AppHealthCare to donate 200 disposable surgical masks and to deliver more than 500 meals through Appalachian’s Campus Dining to students and community members under isolation and quarantine.

Jason Marshburn, Appalachian’s director of environmental health, safety and emergency management, said the university has worked primarily with AppHealthCare — which offers clinical services on a sliding fee scale based on income, regardless of one’s ability to pay — and Watauga County Emergency Services, but also has meal support agreements with the Watauga County Project on Aging and the Avery County Sheriff’s Office.

Through ongoing partnerships and regular planning meetings, Appalachian was able to help address areas of need, Marshburn said.

The university also has partnerships with Watauga Medical Center and Ashe Memorial Hospital to provide equipment support, including hospital beds to help with surge capacity. According to Marshburn, Appalachian has given the organizations an inventory of deployable supplies and formalized the process for providing, but no supplies have yet been requested.

“Appalachian plays an important role in the health of the community,” Marshburn said. “Our community partners have assisted the university during previous times of need, and we want to do the same for them whenever possible. Maintaining strong partnerships is vital for navigating current and future challenges.”

Marshburn said these collaborations have been a positive experience for all involved, and Appalachian’s flexibility and adaptability have been appreciated by the community partners.

What do you think?

Share your feedback on this story.

Mountaineers moving mountains

Appalachian State University’s faculty and staff are transitioning events and experiences to online platforms and developing new ways for Mountaineers to connect.

Learn more

About EHS&EM at Appalachian

The Department of Environmental Health, Safety, and Emergency Management (EHS&EM) at Appalachian State University works in coordination with other departments across campus to build a safe and prepared campus in support of the university’s commitment to campus safety. The department’s primary responsibility is environmental health, safety and emergency management functions across campus. Learn more at https://ehsem.appstate.edu.

About Appalachian State University

As the premier public undergraduate institution in the state of North Carolina, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives as global citizens who understand and engage their responsibilities in creating a sustainable future for all. The Appalachian Experience promotes a spirit of inclusion that brings people together in inspiring ways to acquire and create knowledge, to grow holistically, to act with passion and determination, and to embrace diversity and difference. Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Appalachian is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System. Appalachian enrolls more than 20,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and graduate majors.