WHEELING – Attorneys at one Wheeling law firm are working to help frontline workers dealing with the Coronavirus pandemic as well as others who have questions about how everything affects them.
Teresa Toriseva of Toriseva Law said the firm has donated about 200 N95 masks to health care workers and first responders.
She said it started with a social media post.
Toriseva
“It’s how we’re communicating with everybody right now,” Toriseva said. “We’re all on our computers. Well, I saw a post on Facebook. Someone had taken a picture at Kennedy Hardware, an old hardware store in downtown Wheeling. The post said they had some N95 masks. Josh (Miller, another attorney at the firm) was out getting groceries. I called and told him to go there to check. They did have them, and we were able to buy about 60 of them.”
Toriseva said Sherri Van Tassel, another lawyer at the firm, then went and bought 40 more masks.
“We took them and distributed them to people who are health care workers who could supply to coworkers,” Toriseva told The West Virginia Record. “So, we’ve had health care workers stopping by the office to get masks and supply them to coworkers.”
She said a friend of hers has a daughter who is a nurse, and the daughter works with a Coronavirus patient.
“She’s having to reuse one mask over and over,” Toriseva said. “I’ve been told repeatedly by doctors, respiratory therapists and others in health care that they’re having to reuse masks and they don’t have other supplies they desperately need. They’re scared.”
Toriseva said masks also were donated to firefighters for Belmont County, Ohio, and Morristown, Ohio.
Meanwhile, the owner of Kennedy Hardware heard what the firm was doing with the masks that had been purchased. So, he donated 100 more masks for them to distribute.
Tom Andrews, general manager of Kennedy Hardware, said he’s actually donated about 500 masks to various groups, such as police departments, EMS workers, nursing homes, hospitals and even West Virginia University.
“It’s an item we sell, obviously,” Andrews said. “When I heard what the law firm was doing, I called Josh a few days later and donated 100 more for them to distribute.
“I think it’s good to do every little bit you can do in situations like this. Of course, we’re in business here to make a profit. But, you can’t forget about the people in our community. We wouldn’t be here without them. It’s just a nice thing to do. And the right thing to do.”
Toriseva agreed.
“We knew there was a need, and we did what we could to help,” Toriseva said. “In the big picture, the masks we have distributed is a drop in the bucket. But, when you talk to the individuals who need these masks and their families, you see it’s not so small.
“It’s helping our community, and it’s boosting our morale to be able to help out.”
Another project the firm is doing started this week.
On it’s Facebook page, the firm is answering common legal questions people and businesses might have related to the Coronavirus and how it affects them.
“It’s a public service for everyone,” Toriseva said. “We’re just trying to be helpful.”
The firm says the information is provided as general information to all in need of analysis of their rights under the federal CARES Act. The advice is not intended to create an attorney/client relationship, but it is designed to help people advocate for themselves in applying for available government benefits.
The firm is posting a written article about a topic one day, then having a live video discussion about the same topic the next day. The first video chat is scheduled for March 31, and it can be accessed at https://www.facebook.com/TorisevaLawFirm/.
The first topic is unemployment compensation, and the attorneys will address information for the Wheeling Tri-State area of West Virginia, Ohio and Pennsylvania when applicable.
Other topics to be addressed in the coming days are the federal stimulus checks; consumer information, including homeowner and mortgage information as well as student loans; and relief for small businesses.
“The stimulus check is automatic,” Toriseva said. “The other stuff you have to know about, go get and apply for. So, we want to make sure everyone is better equipped to do that.”
In addition to all of that, Toriseva said the firm and attorneys at the firm have donated food and made deliveries to first responders and other essential workers.
She encourages other attorneys, firms and individuals to do the same when they can.
“We all feel better when we help,” she said. “So find something to do, some way to help. Even if it feels small, it’s big.”