My immigrant great-great-grandmother Jennie Zuidweg knitted socks for the military during WWI.
Like her we can help by sewing masks for healthcare workers and first responders. My son is a manager for Providence, the third largest healthcare system in the United States. They have issued a challenge: they need 100 million masks and want us to make them.
I actually got this idea from José on his blog at How to Make Face Masks. I tried to reblog his post, but it didn’t work for some reason. So I wrote my own.
If you make masks for Providence you can pick up kits to make 100 masks. Providence is located in California, Washington, Oregon, and Montana. Some of these other ideas require you already having or else obtaining the supplies. I saw a friend chatting on Facebook about needing elastic, although she had the fabric.
We’re all in this together!
Stay safe, my friends. XOXO
The Family Kalamazoo 
Fabulous post. I watched the video and I want to make some masks but I too need the elastic. I am going to see what I can do to get some 🙂 That you Luanne
Oh, so glad to hear this! I know you are an experienced seamstress! Keep us posted on how it goes! And stay safe.
Thanks Luanne.
I liked the way you were able to weave a family story into the sewing of face masks for hospitals.
I will make sure that the project “Providence 100 Million Masks” gets put on FaceBook to get a maximum of eyes on it.
Thanks again.
Thank you so much, Jose. This was such a great idea to post about the masks.
Good for your son – and good for you, too. I like a concrete plan with real results. A novelty these days.
This is something so helpful for today and some thing people can do instead of sitting there worrying. There are others who need masks too. For instance, veterinarians and vet techs who are continuing to see pets need to be protected.
I never learned to sew—by hand or by machine. Is there a way to help without actually making them? (I think my mother used her left-handedness as an excuse not to sew as well as not to iron…)
Good question. I have heard of people buying supplies for other people to make them. Also my mother’s idea was that at a retirement community like hers there probably would be a lot of people who could make the masks if they were provided with the materials.
In fact I plan to call her community on Monday.
(But not MY mother!) Maybe there’s a way to donate?
This is going to be on a hospital by hospital basis, I think, unless somebody puts together a nationwide effort. So I suggest calling your local hospitals and asking if they have a system in place yet for the public making masks for the hospital. We can also make masks for other people who need them–can ask them first–like veterinarians who will continue to treat our pets!
Are any hospitals in Kalamazoo in need of these masks? I know how to sew and would like to help.
OK, I called both hospitals. Right now Bronson does not have anything in place for this and is not accepting homemade masks. However, the woman I talked to–the receptionist at (269) 341-7654–said to keep calling back because that could change as everything is changing by the minute. At Bronson the receptionist believed that there is something in place for making masks, but I needed to talk to the chaplain. Unfortunately, today is Saturday and it was the weekend chaplain there. He didn’t know anything about it, but thought it a good idea. So I have to call Borgess back on Monday! The chaplain’s office is (269) 226-4898.
Ordinary people choosing to be amazing.
I think people who want to help should call their local hospitals and ask if they are accepting homemade masks. If the answer is no, call again next week and ask!
Yes! The situation could change to the downside while some less than amazing people will try to horde.
Ugh ugh ugh.