Mask Maker
With the COVID-19 situation - which I have been writing about a lot in my job as a marketer lately, which makes me want to embellish: In these unprecedented times of global pandemic...
With the COVID-19 situation, Jason came to bed one night, while I was already drifting off to sleep, and asked, "Hey, do you think you can sew face masks?" I mumbled, "I dunno, probably." This wasn't that different than when he's asked me if I can fix a rip in his jacket or sew a button back on. But he replied in a serious tone that it sounded like people were going to need them soon.
He really never gets anxious, but the coronavirus was one of the things that seemed to be really nagging at him, so the next day I looked up mask patterns online and by the next morning I gave Jason a face mask. He looked at me with quiet satisfaction, smiled and said, "Thank you!" And then I started making masks.
For my in-laws. For my older aunts and uncles in Philadelphia. For my sister-in-law who's working in a restaurant doing carry-out on the West Coast. For another mom friend who works in the VA health system and offered to pay me to help give something to her nurses. I didn't take any money but did readily accept the assignment. And even better, another mom friend who was picking up masks for her family offered to deliver them to the first mom friend.
Sewing masks at night felt purposeful and helpful. It was something active and assertive to do when so much felt out of my control. A little problematic was that my energy to help was outpacing the number of friends who were asking for masks.
So now, after running into a neighbor who owns one of those Little Free Libraries and asking if I might sublet the space rent-free, I am making masks for my neighbors. It's a Little Free Mask Library (although no returns!)
Each mask is placed in a sandwich bag with a note on its care and instructions on its use. I included my email address, a lot because at first I thought maybe people might need repairs because my sewing was imperfect and untested in the mass market.
And I've received so many nice notes from people, saying "I'm 69 years old and I took one of your masks. Thank you." Notes from people who ordered a mask from Amazon, but have been waiting. My neighbor, the "landlord" for the library, has stopped by twice to put cash in my mailbox that people have left under his doormat as a thank you. A Facebook acquaintance who runs a community eldercare non-profit asked where the Little Library is, because she has clients who have said they can't afford a mask. Could she direct them to the Little Library? (Of course, YES!) Another neighbor asked me for my favorite charity, because she was going to make a donation in my name. (The Mid-Ohio Food Bank felt right for these times.)
It feels so good to do this. Sometimes I have Calvin ride his bike with me to resupply the little field hospital cabinet. I hope he's feeling some of the purpose.
With the COVID-19 situation, Jason came to bed one night, while I was already drifting off to sleep, and asked, "Hey, do you think you can sew face masks?" I mumbled, "I dunno, probably." This wasn't that different than when he's asked me if I can fix a rip in his jacket or sew a button back on. But he replied in a serious tone that it sounded like people were going to need them soon.
He really never gets anxious, but the coronavirus was one of the things that seemed to be really nagging at him, so the next day I looked up mask patterns online and by the next morning I gave Jason a face mask. He looked at me with quiet satisfaction, smiled and said, "Thank you!" And then I started making masks.
For my in-laws. For my older aunts and uncles in Philadelphia. For my sister-in-law who's working in a restaurant doing carry-out on the West Coast. For another mom friend who works in the VA health system and offered to pay me to help give something to her nurses. I didn't take any money but did readily accept the assignment. And even better, another mom friend who was picking up masks for her family offered to deliver them to the first mom friend.Sewing masks at night felt purposeful and helpful. It was something active and assertive to do when so much felt out of my control. A little problematic was that my energy to help was outpacing the number of friends who were asking for masks.
So now, after running into a neighbor who owns one of those Little Free Libraries and asking if I might sublet the space rent-free, I am making masks for my neighbors. It's a Little Free Mask Library (although no returns!)Each mask is placed in a sandwich bag with a note on its care and instructions on its use. I included my email address, a lot because at first I thought maybe people might need repairs because my sewing was imperfect and untested in the mass market.
And I've received so many nice notes from people, saying "I'm 69 years old and I took one of your masks. Thank you." Notes from people who ordered a mask from Amazon, but have been waiting. My neighbor, the "landlord" for the library, has stopped by twice to put cash in my mailbox that people have left under his doormat as a thank you. A Facebook acquaintance who runs a community eldercare non-profit asked where the Little Library is, because she has clients who have said they can't afford a mask. Could she direct them to the Little Library? (Of course, YES!) Another neighbor asked me for my favorite charity, because she was going to make a donation in my name. (The Mid-Ohio Food Bank felt right for these times.)It feels so good to do this. Sometimes I have Calvin ride his bike with me to resupply the little field hospital cabinet. I hope he's feeling some of the purpose.
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