Everyone is struggling right now in some form or another. In fact, not including mortgages, the average American has about $38,000 of debt. Since so many people are out of work because of the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s up to communities to come together to fight back against this disease and do everything possible to limit the spread and return things to normal.

Rochester has an abundance of credible, hardworking, and genuine companies that dispute their own struggles, are doing their part. Simple steps to help out go a long way for an organization. Roughly 77% of marketing leaders say a strong brand is critical to their growth plans.

Here are some amazing Rochester businesses doing their part in these trying times:

Xerox

The Xerox tower has long been a staple of Rochester. When it was constructed in 1967, it was the tallest building made of poured-in-place exposed aggregate concrete. Today, it remains as the tallest building in Rochester and the third tallest building in the entire state of New York (outside of New York City, of course).

Xerox itself has been around for much longer than just its skyscraper, however. The company started in 1906, right here in Rochester, and it’s still making waves!

Xerox is now turning printer filters and textiles into medical-grade masks for every health care employee at Rochester Regional Hospital (RGH). They are aiming towards donating around 10,000 masks! Also, the company has partnered with California-based Vortran to produce hundreds of thousands of disposable ventilators. They are really helping out!

Mackenzie-Childs

This company is also doing its part to help produce face masks for people to wear in order to stop the spread of this deadly disease. Mackenzie-Childs workers typically create small household decorative items… but now, they are actively fighting COVID-19.

These masks have been donated across the area to correctional facilities, hospitals, and more. The company is manufacturing and distributing about 500 face masks per week.

Carestream Health

Roc-based Carestream Health has actually experienced a major increase in their business during the COVID-19 pandemic. Why? Because their business involves mobile X-ray machines that can actually help those individuals who have tested positive with the coronavirus and are critically ill as a result.

“Manufacturing plants and warehouses are working 10-hour days six days a week to produce our DRX-Revolution mobile X-ray units that are used for bedside diagnostic imaging exams,” said Robert Salmon, spokesperson for Carestream.

Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT)

RIT has started increasing its production of tech products that help cleans the air inside hospitals, making these areas much safer to access for everyone — especially those who have contracted the virus.

Similalry, they are also donating bacterial filtration material that is perfect for face masks for workers and the general public.

“Our goal is to donate materials for face masks for second-line workers, in order to conserve surgical masks for others who need them,” added Rob Turbett, founder and CEO of Turbett Surgical, an organization associated with RIT’s Venture Creations business incubator. “When we realized that our material is perfect for those face masks, we went from concept to purchase orders in about seven hours. That has to be some kind of record.”

It’s not just these companies that are helping out, too. So many people and businesses are doing thankless work. According to the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements, only between 25% and 55% of all waste generated in large cities is collected by municipal authorities. But there are workers out there every morning doing their part during a global pandemic. Plus all the health care workers, contractors, and everyone else — it’s time to say thanks.

So, from all of us here in Rochester, Thank you!