As many of you know
by now, I’ve been working to compile an info-page for all of you who are
anxious to help. A week ago we thought our homemade masks weren’t good enough.
Now we have hospitals, clinics and EMTs begging for PPE items. (PPE – personal
protective equipment) Many thanks to Meg Cox for her mention of our efforts in
her “Quilt Journalist Tells All” e-newsletter Saturday.
We’ve spent the week scrambling to find suppliers for the things you are asking
for, to make PPE items. If you search for “COVID” it will pull up
everything we have in stock that has been in demand for this purpose, and we
have thousands of yards of elastic, and hundreds of yards of polypropylene
(nonwoven mask liner) on order for next week. We will be selling the elastic at
our cost after cutting and bundling in 10 yd and 50 yd packages. These are
coming from a garment industry manufacturer and are Latex-Free. If you want to
be notified when they come in, please contact customer service Monday so we can
judge the demand and order more if needed.
We’ve been asked by the governor’s office to help coordinate making, collecting
and delivering masks to the workers who are keeping Colorado running during
this pandemic. These are the folks who are still going to work during the
shutdown – processing your state tax return checks – running the DMV – and I’ve
added these workers to my list of potential mask recipients on my info-page.
For all of you making masks out there, look at my list and think about who is
still out there in your state working and delivering, and think about who would
appreciate a mask this week.
I also have a request from Mission
of Love to make and send masks to Pine Ridge SD, the poorest county in the
US. (Reservation home to the Lakota people.) Please watch our blog page and Facebook page for updates on
all of these efforts.
It has become clear to me in the last few days that anyone who is still
working, going to the grocery store, or having other potential human
interaction, needs to wear a mask when around others. Period. This is what they
do in Asia, where it is 2nd nature. Here in the US we have been spoiled and
there is resistance to this idea, but watch this video sent to me from the Czech
Republic.
There is now a large sealed trunk for masks outside our front door. Our
business is closed to the public to protect our staff, but you can drop off
donated masks during business hours. If you have no fabric but want to help, we
are also putting fabric in the bin so you can pick up what you can use, when
dropping off finished masks. Our local BCH hospital group has listed us as one
of two dropoff points for your DIY face masks. We are collecting and
distributing to a wide range of groups including the hospital, nursing homes,
and state government workers.
We are providing curbside pickup for our local customers. If you live locally
and wish to save on shipping but not get out of your car to pick up an order,
just let us know when you will arrive and we will bring your package out to
your car for a *quick* hand-off to protect staff and customer…maybe on your
infrequent trip to the grocery store down the road from eQuilter.
Please do share our Mask-Making info-page
with anyone who might be interested in sewing face masks or other PPE for their
community. We will get through this together. Sending love and hugs to you and
your families during this challenging time.
sharing your Passion for Fabric…
Luana and Paul
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