An independent news publication of
United Way of Lancaster County

Search

Make Masks for yourself and Others

Covid-19

 

  1. Let’s Help Our Health Workers by Making Masks“The doctors and nurses in our hospitals and nursing homes don’t have enough masks to protect themselves from the Corona Virus,” said Schirlyn Kamara, who is asking community-minded people like herself to join in an effort to make more protective masks for medical professionals, as supplies for these items continue to be critical.“We need people who can sew surgical masks at home, anyone with a sewing machine can do it,” said Kamara.  She owns Nimble Thimble, located in Lancaster and regularly teaches sewing classes there for kids and adults.“I’ve been sewing masks for the last week, giving them to nursing homes that are short on them,” Kamara said. “They can’t keep working if they get the virus.”

    Now, if you can learn from a video, there is an excellent one on YouTube from the wife of an ER doctor that shows you how to make some great protective masks at home, from a HEPA vacuum cleaner bag, elastic and pipe cleaners that the doctor himself recommends. If you would like to make and donate some of these, you can contact the Partnership for Public Health which is distributing the masks in Lancaster County at hospitals, clinics and retirement homes that have the biggest need.  You can call 717-314-9834 to have someone pick up the masks.

    Now get sewing!

    The first link is for the training video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6d3twpHwis

     

    Here is a link for the pattern that you can print out which is described in the video.

    https://drive.google.com/file/d/1gaiM3yZLalU1_7mlMeLR-3967A8cEu5H/view