Hundreds of N95 and surgical masks sat in boxes at Micron’s site in East Kilbride, Scotland, in late March, as local health care workers scrambled to find personal protective equipment to keep themselves and their patients safe from coronavirus.

But not for long.

Aware of the urgent need, Senior Procurement Manager Maxie O’Neill worked with team members to ensure that the masks were put to good use in the community.

They chose to donate the masks to a charity they had previously supported — Kilbryde Hospice — which provides specialized palliative care to patients with life-limiting, progressive illnesses.

“They were over the moon and said they would be able to put masks to good use, especially in the current climate,” said Facilities Manager Anne Marie Murphy, who arranged for the delivery of the masks and followed up to make sure they were received.

East Kilbride is a Consumer Products Group site that works with distribution sites around Europe to supply SSD, DRAM and Ballistix products to the end users.

All 33 team members at East Kilbride are working from home, so they had no immediate need for the 900 N95 masks and 500 surgical masks. The site does have masks available for staff returning to work after the lockdown, Murphy said.

“It was a small gesture but one that was received with heartfelt gratitude by the hospice,” O’Neill said. “We knew the U.K. was struggling with PPE deliveries, so every little bit helps.”

O’Neill had some masks at home because he initially thought he might be doing a mix of working at the site and working from home. Once he realized he would be exclusively working from home, he decided to give his masks to a neighbor who works as a National Health Service (NHS) nurse.

“Though it was a small gesture, I think it went a long way,” he said.

The "Heart of Micron" story series shares human stories about Micron team members helping others and benefiting their communities.