Since Illinois deemed dispensaries an “essential service” during the Covid-19 pandemic, owners, managers, and staffs have had to learn and apply new safety guidelines for themselves and their customers.

Social distancing rules, online preorders, and curbside pickups have been just a few of the adjustments dispensaries have made.

Because of the safety precaution for mandatory mask for dispensary workers, companies have been providing masks for staff to wear while at work.

When management from NuMed dispensaries in Illinois was purchasing facemask bandanas for employees, the company decided to take it an extra step.

“We’d been looking around for a way we could provide a service beyond the ‘essential service’ that we’re already providing,” said NuMed Director of Marketing Jonah Rapino. “We have had to work really hard to make sure our staff feels protected and covered in this crises, as well as our customers, so that’s where most of our emphasis has been, but we also feel the need to expand that towards everybody.”

Since May 20, NuMed has been selling face mask bandanas to customers in order to fundraise for Champaign County COVID-19 Relief Fund. NuMed Urbana manager Sean Johnson (in image) sports a new face mask the dispensary is selling to raise money for the Champaign County COVID-19 Relief Fund.

“There’re so may people who are doing amazing things for essential services, like doctor, nurses, ambulance drivers, firemen, police,” said Rapino. “While spending so much of our time making sure we’re good company-wide, (we thought) ‘What can we do for everyone else?’.”

ILNJ Photo

The facemask bandanas are five dollar each and, according to NuMed, 100 percent of the revenue from the sales will be donated to regional charities at the three NuMed locations.

NuMed Urbana will be fundraising for the Champaign County COVID-19 Relief Fund, while Peoria and Chicago will be fundraising for local COVID-19 relief charities

The Champaign County COVID-19 Relief Fund, in partnership with the Community Foundation of East Central Illinois, supports neighbors who are struggling in the economic fallout from the pandemic. Donations support relief programs and services to help with vital needs.

NuMed will be selling the bandana masks for as long as they are in stock, and maybe longer if they sell well.

“We did an initial run of 400 for each location,” Rapino said. “So we’ll see how they sell, and if they’re selling really quick, then we’d be like, ‘Alright, let’s do it again.’”

A couple weeks ago, NuMed Urbana extended store hours to include from 12-5 p.m.  Sundays. The first two hours of open business is reserved for medical patients.

For a Illinois dispensary directory, click here.