Every little bit helps
Tue, 04/07/2020 - 9:23am
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By:
Marcie Klomp ~ News Editor tpdeditor@crescotimes.com
HOWARD COUNTY - The coronavirus (COVID-19) has seen schools cancel, businesses close down for several weeks and Iowans asked to social distance.
On the other hand, the virus has seen healthcare workers in the hospital or skilled nursing facilities forced to keep working as some of those are needed to keep everything running.
In turn, they are using more Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), such as special clothing and face masks, than usual, and supplies are being depleted.
To the rescue
No need to fear, though. Local seamstresses and others are using their free time to help out by sewing face masks for those in need.
Anyone wanting to make the fabric, washable face masks should contact the facility to check on their needs before making them. Some prefer plain masks that can be worn over the N95 respirator to make them last longer, some are worn to prevent germs from spreading, and others are made with a pocket to be able to insert a filter in the masks. There is also a need for child’s size to be used in hospitals or emergency room visits.
Elastic has been hard to get now, so some have gone to using bias tape ties. Either method will fulfill a need throughout the community.
Not only do hospitals need them but also law enforcement, firemen, veterinarians, people with respiratory issues and pharmacies, to name a few.
What is needed
Local facilities have weighed in on their needs:
• Accura HealthCare — Administrator Sandy Chilson noted, “”Several people say they are making them for us. We won’t turn any away. We can probably use about 100.”
• Evans Memorial Home — Administrator Amy Murphy explained, “We have been contacted by a few community members/sewing circles regarding cloth masks. We have had conversations back and forth about what works best. Stephanie Thomson has been the main contact and communicating to others within her sewing circle. At this time, we have a small supply that were donated by Peggy Johnson and are expecting more to come from Stephanie and her group of ladies.”
• Regional Health Services of Howard County — Baily Kach said, “At this time we are accepting all kinds of donated PPE, including homemade masks. There is no preferred kind — there are many patterns out there. We have a few links we shared on Facebook, but there is no restriction on type. They do not need to have a filter in them, but the masks with filter pockets are nice.”
Days for Girls
The Cresco First United Methodist Women’s Days for Girls group is individually sewing masks for the organization and local needs.
Gaye Pedersen said, “We put a large quantity of fabric and narrow elastic in the East Room of the church, so people could drop in and pick up what they needed. It takes about 20 minutes to make the first one. Once you get the hang of it, maybe it takes 12-15 minutes to make one.”
Marge Johnson, who is spearheading the project, said, “Days for Girls asked us to send a commitment of how many we could produce, and I said 300, thinking that was a lot for us who wanted to participate. I contacted our Cresco IA team members and several have come back asking for directions and where they could watch a video on making them. I have had others in the community contact me and ask if there was some way they could help.”
Some in the group are also making masks for Country Winds Manor, RHSHC, Kessel Kids and some local pastors.
Kids helping
• Starting on Monday, March 23, Carrie Adams Leff encouraged her sons, who are off school, to sew some masks. She posted on Facebook, “Sweat shop up running. Everyone has their jobs! Sewing 101 today, making mask for our health care workers!”
On Wednesday the crew completed 40 masks, had eight pinned and ready to sew and 24 more cut. “We’ve learned a lot — how to take on new rolls and jump in to help! The boys are now ‘cross trained’ and can do almost all of the parts needed to make a mask from start to finish. To say I am so proud of my boys doesn’t even cover it!”
Others helping
• A group from Elma, headed by Marge Ludwig, donated 200 masks. Others helping are Gladie Church, Deb Mahr, Peggy Johnson, Becky Dunn, Paula Greenfield and Laurie Tupy, just to name a few.
Tonya Munkel, a CNA at Country Winds Manor, is having to stay at home for a little while, so she decided to make some masks for her workplace. So far, she has donated 30.
“Now I am making some for Regional Health Services. It is an amazing facilitry for our (four) children. They give exceptional service. It’s the least we can do.”
Vivian Shields taught Munkel how to sew in 4-H, and now she is teaching her 10-year-old.
For her first batch of masks, Munkel went to Quilters Garden in Cresco and purchased the material. When she went back for the second round, she was told the material was paid for . . . by Reicks View Farms.
Katie Mast, owner of Quilter’s Garden, said, “I got a call from Reicks View Farms. She said they wanted to donate $250 to my shop and $1,000 in total from different towns, for people making masks. I thought it was pretty awesome.”
All Reicks View is asking is for people to e-mail a picture of what they made and where it is being donated.
Mast went on to say that elastic is a hot commodity for making the masks. In total she’s had about 30 customers purchasing material for masks. It started on March 19.
Links for making masks:
3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnVk12sFRk Y&fbclid=IwAR2vLu62FVxYAIYXELiQIPafd3qazX5tzhTpJ0WIZb_eW3s2xlb093ZlGlw
