KITCHENER -- A Stratford family is stepping up for the community, donating thousands of masks and pieces of personal protective equipment to municipalities in Perth County.

The Town of Mitchell received 3,000 makes this week, helping out a small municipality where getting PPE could be challenging.

"When the supply of masks comes out, they tend to think of the larger centre, the hospitals that are in the larger centres," Mayor of West Perth Walter McKenzie said.

As more public places open their doors, the demand for masks is increasing.

"To protect our employees and the people that work in our municipality, but to help the spread," McKenzie said.

Wenli Li and her family want to help the communities dealing with PPE shortages.

"I just want my community to be safe because we live here," she said.

Li's family moved to Stratford five years ago. Li's mother got very sick when they arrived and the doctors at Stratford General Hospital saved her life.

"So when this COVID-19 started, my family felt that they should do something to show their appreciation for this community," Li said.

Li and her family are working with Help Mask Ontario and a Chinese businessman to help bring PPE to Canada. The group says it’s communicating with the Canadian consulate in China to ship the supplies.

So far, the group has donated more than 50,000 masks across southwestern Ontario. Another shipment of nearly 20,000 masks is expected to arrive next week.

The group’s goal is to give communities enough PPE to get through the summer.