Non-Fiction - Memoir
Mask Makers of the
2020 Pandemic
by Linda L. Rigsbee
(Continued)
The Mask Makers
Scappoose, Oregon
Covid happened. It was a scary time in March 2020 when businesses, schools and communities began to systematically shut down. Doors closed on classrooms and we were told as a society to stay indoors and keep away from one another.
I was home sick in bed when my phone went off. I had received a text at an unusual time of the day. It was from a dear friend I had not heard from in a while - a fellow hockey mom who was also a nurse. She did not bother much with pleasantries and just jumped right to it - she needed some help. This Covid outbreak had crippled her department. She and other medical staff were working non-stop and didn't see an end in sight. It was frightening. She described to me her situation with PPE...one disposable PPE mask and one brown paper bag was given to each nurse. They were instructed to wear this mask for the duration of their shift - often in excess of 16 hours at a time. Once their shift was over, they were to place their mask in their paper bag (with their name on it) and let the mask "dry" until their next shift. Nurses and other healthcare professionals were all given this protocol until more PPE could be acquired - there was already a shortage of PPE. They were to follow these instructions for ONE WEEK and the end of which they would receive a new mask and maybe a new paper bag.
Was there anything I could do to help, she asked me. Could I think of anything that could help, did I know anyone who could help either get more PPE or fundraise for the purchase of much needed supplies? She then went on to tell me that she and other co-workers realized early on that this was not working. Many were opting out of wearing a mask at all...which was alarming in its own right because masks (PPE) help protect health care workers from a myriad of splatter from the human body - blood, spit, urine...all fluids that can spread germs and sickness.
OMG is all that I could think to myself. How awful. How miserable it must be to have to wear the same disposable mask for hours at a time, let alone an entire week!
My mind immediately engaged and I went online to research PPE. Different kinds, different patterns, different ways to wear them and what was deemed most comfortable and durable by those who had to wear it the most/longest. I spent several hours researching material, watching videos and reading articles about the spread of diseases and the use for PPE as a protection against the spread of germs.
I happened upon this one particular video that was distributed by the CDC to a community in Indiana, the Deaconess Hospital Group, in response to a request from that medical group to "help include the public". Their question to the CDC was simple - how do we respond to the public if they offer to help provide us PPE? CDC responded with an intense report, identifying several material combinations for PPE, comparing filter materials and material pairings in several different tests. These included optimal filtration, breathability and the ability to be sanitized after use. Filter materials that were compared included everything from coffee filters to vacuum bag filters. Materials studied and tested included cotton, poly-cotton blends, synthetic materials and multiple combinations of these. The study even compared the effectiveness of two-layered PPE VS three-layered PPE. In the end, the CDC produced a pattern, directions and even a how-to video to the Deaconess Group to distribute to the public. These instructional materials would provide the public a way to provide a product that was certified by the CDC as having optimal filtration, optimal breathability and would be able to be thoroughly sanitized in an autoclave machine in any healthcare facility. The PPE produced from this report would be reusable and could be cleaned and sanitized after each use, so as to offer optimal protection for healthcare workers - in all health-related conditions.
The final product was so simple: pleated style, two-layer 100% high grade cotton fabric mask. No metal pieces so the mask can be sanitized in the autoclave. No filters because the filters cannot be thoroughly cleaned after each use. Each mask is machine washable and can be thoroughly sanitized between uses. Each mask can be used many times over again.
I read these articles and downloaded the pattern. I also downloaded the instructions and printed them off for future reference. I called a few of my sewing friends. I said, "I am going to make some PPE to send to the local hospitals. They are using disposable paper PPE right now and they are only given one per week! I have a pattern that is CDC approved, we can work off of their approved materials list and make some PPE to donate to the healthcare workers in the hospitals. I want you to help me. Will you sew with me?"
The rest is history.
I created Facebook page "The Mask Makers" in efforts for us all to communicate on a more available platform than texting one-on-one. Using the Facebook social media platform also enabled me to share photos of the PPE we were making, photos of nurses wearing our handmade masks, and also allowed for messages to be sent back and forth about masks we were making and who we were supporting. My son, a film major at University, created the logo we use on all of our communication and media accounts.
It was not two weeks after we got started that I got a call from a local business, OREGON AERO in Scappoose. They offered to pay for shipping for our group to send masks to those in need. They agreed to budget money each week for shipping for us - which was HUGE. Soon after that we began to ship to places throughout Oregon. We started to support Memory Care Facilities. We began to support Rehabilitation facilities. We continued to support hospitals and healthcare professionals on the front lines.
Only days later I received a request for our first BIG order. 200 masks for CHEMWEST SYSTEMS INC, who manufacture face shields for use in the healthcare industry. They needed PPE for their factory workers so they could ramp up production. We were so excited! It felt like we were making a real difference! ChemWest Systems Inc has since been very supportive of our efforts, providing us with not only our first BIG order but also our first BIG corporate sponsor contribution. Thank you ChemWest Systems, Inc!
Within one month, we were shipping 4-5 shipments of masks each week. Requests were coming in daily, it seemed from all four corners of the world. Then something really great started happening, thank you notes and emails started coming in from the places we sent masks to. They were always filled with gratitude and appreciation - just the fuel we needed to keep us going. Then people started to follow our Facebook page, liking our pictures and adding to our posts, cheering us on and asking how they could help, too.
I was approached by the local talk radio news station - KOHI radio - to do an interview on-air about the Mask Makers and how we came to be and what we were doing.
Everything seemed to start happening at once! The same radio personality who conducted my radio interview had connections to the USMC (United States Marine Corps) and also the USS MERCY (US Navy). We received an order for 1000 masks to be shipped to Kuwait in support of the USMC. Simultaneously we received an order to provide 1200 masks to the USS MERCY - docked outside of LA, California as a makeshift hospital to help support the COVID outbreak. We got to sewing right away and were able to fill these orders with pride.
At the same time, we were sending masks to the National Housing Testing Facility in Nebraska for the US Air Force - a facility that was created into a makeshift healthcare facility to help deal with the effects of Covid in the Midwest. Toward the end of summer, we sent masks to the US Army as well as a group of young boot camp graduates in Kansas.
Two local newspapers - The Columbia County Spotlight and The Columbia County Chronicle - published stories about our group and the impact we were having on communities around us, saving lives and providing hope in the face of the COVID. From these articles came more sewing team members wanting to join our cause, and also community members with fabric donations. It was all coming together!
Conclusion
As a fellow mask maker, many of these stories made me realize how fortunate I was and how easy I had it. While some people had assistance, I had none most of the time. As a caregiver for my husband, I had responsibilities that some mask makers didn't, but otherwise, my experience was fulfilling. I stopped making masks when the market dried up in my area, not because of an unpleasant experience. My customers were all respectful and appreciative. I never had one complaint. Writing this book has made me aware of all the things that could have gone wrong for me, but didn't. I hope this is the most common reaction from mask makers.
For the most part, I found these stories uplifting and inspiring. They demonstrate how one person can make a difference. From the people making the masks to those organizing them, all these stories started out with one person trying to help. Regardless of the situation, I think that's the way anything gets accomplished.
In any worthwhile endeavor, there are going to be bad experiences. We learn as much from failure as we do success. I think it is important for each of us to remember that everyone has their breaking point. Whether people made masks and handed them out free or they sold them, they still spent the same excruciating hours sitting at a sewing machine – alone – doing a mindless job hour after hour, day after day and month after month because they knew there was a need that wasn't being filled. They all felt the same responsibility to do something about it.
I learned something from all these stories. First, that even though I often felt alone with the world on my shoulders, I was not alone. I knew there were other mask makers out there, but I wasn't hearing their stories. We all need to feel appreciated. I had that reinforcement from my customers as well as the support of the Elkins Farmer's Market where I sold my masks.
I compiled this book so that mask makers could share their story for historical purposes, and now I hope their stories become an inspiration to others. In the next crisis (and there will always be one) I hope this book inspires people to step up, even if they feel like they are alone, and know that it is each individual that makes a difference, not an organization, a government or a group. Each of us possesses some useful talent. We only need the confidence to use it. Last, but not least; if we have neither the skills nor the equipment, we can all do two things – be kind and supportive.
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Thank you for reading this book. It is available in print as eBook as well as on this free-read website. To explore all the available sources, click here.
The United Way approached our group and has partnered with us to provide masks to neighboring communities. There are other organizations we have partnered with during this journey:
Give Me PPE Chicago - a local non-profit group started by a group of grad students from Northeastern who serves Youth at Risk and Foster Youth in the Chicago Area.
Hometown Heros - The support group for the Columbia County National Guard
Multnomah County Emergency Response - provides masks to at risk youth in Multnomah County.
In the past few months, we have joined forces with another mask making group stationed out of Pennsylvania: Friends of the Elderly/Veterans/Disabled in Need of Masks and from the partnership created with this group we have been able to expand our reach across the nation.
Throughout this effort, one group that we proudly support is law enforcement. We proudly support the following law enforcement agencies: Columbia County Sheriff Department, Clark County Sheriff Department, Oregon State Police Department, Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Victims Specialist (Oregon, Washington, Montana, Idaho, Illinois, California, Utah) and Strong Paramedic Group in Strong, Maine.
To date we have provided in excess of 8,000 handmade masks worldwide. Fun fact - the only state in the union we have not supported yet is New Hampshire. I am hopeful we can find a way to send some masks to some in need in that state so we can cross off all 50 states in the union.
Internationally we have supported people in over 10 countries. The requests keep coming in. Covid is not going away anytime soon. We have vowed to sew and provide what little protection and peace of mind we can until there is no longer a need. We have provided relief to peoples in the following countries: USA, Canada, Japan, Egypt, Croatia, Armenia, France, Mexico, Greece, Turkey, and England
Currently our membership is 175 and growing. We have members who sew for their communities, and members who sew for our causes. We donate all the masks we ship under The Mask Maker logo and always include a shipping letter letting the recipient know who we are, where we are founded and what they are receiving.
At any given time, I have 10 dedicated members sewing for our cause. The sewing team members come from all over the USA: Oregon, Washington, Maryland, Texas, Virginia, Arkansas, Georgia, and Idaho. I am grateful for every single talented person on my team!
Until the pandemic has subsided, the Mask Makers out of Scappoose, Oregon will continue to send help and hope to those in need.
"With love from Oregon 💗"
Memorable moment #1: An administrator to the Health and Wellness Center in Warm Springs, OR sent me a message thanking me for the PPE we had donated to the Warm Springs Tribe. In his message he also asked me if our group would consider sending masks to his home island of Ikaria, Greece. This small Greek island has one hospital with 150 patients. Because this facility was so small, it was very far down on the list of receiving much needed PPE. Of course, we said YES! and within one week we sent 150 masks to the Hospital in Ikaria. This marked our very first international shipment.
Pictures: Hospital in Ikaria and some of the staff.
Memorable moment #2: A connection I made with a bush doctor in northern Alaska. She serves the native tribes in the bush of northern Alaska. The elders of the tribes preferred the tie-style masks so they did not have to have anything behind their ears. We began sending masks sets to this doctor to take with her on her rounds to the tribes and at one point she messaged me back that The Mask Makers had been given an "elder's blessing" of thanks because of the impact our masks had on saving the lives of their people.
Memorable moment #3: A connection I made through a friend to a medical facilitator in Mexico. She puts together care packages for at risk families living at the border. She sent photos back after she received our masks and said that people had tears in their eyes when she gave them our masks in their care packages.
At the end of the summer 2020, the National Guard of Columbia County who had been deployed for over 9 months were set to come home. Our group supplied masks for families and servicemen/servicewomen so that their homecoming could happen in compliance with local Covid and distancing laws put in place for the state of Oregon.
