Volunteer Alaina Hartley holds up masks sewn by community members.
Community Home Health & Hospice President & CEO Greg Pang wears a mask sewn by the Community Sewing Brigade.
Two-hundred individuals and five groups have joined together to sew 3,348 masks for the healthcare professionals and public-facing workers at Community Home Health & Hospice and the patients and families they serve.
The sewn masks are used in compliance with Center of Disease Control and Prevention restrictions. Making up the five groups are The Grove Alliance Church of Longview, East Hills Alliance Church in Kelso, Cowlitz County Love Masks, Ladies of the Lake Quilt Guild of Longview and Warm Threads for Jesus at First Baptist Church.
Providing patients and families with masks is critical, as they may be asymptomatic but still carrying the virus. Even in situations where neither the patient, family, nor staff has any symptoms, Community is using masks as a precaution.
This has provided peace of mind for everyone. All visitors to Community’s hospice care centers are offered a mask, and in some cases are required to wear them. These masks are a gift from Community’s volunteers and can be used on subsequent patient visits. Homemade masks are helping preserve N95 masks and other critical personal protective equipment for the most high-risk situations.
“As healthcare providers across the country face a shortage of personal protective equipment, local tailors — from church groups to Facebook groups to donors and our own employees — have jumped into action to sew masks for those on the frontlines of this battle against COVID-19,” said Community’s President & CEO Greg Pang. “We serve a highly-vulnerable population and our ‘Community Sewing Brigade’ is playing a critical role in protecting us all. From all of us at Community, thank you!”
Community has on its website a page dedicated to mask making. The page contains written step-by-step instructions, an instructional video featuring local sewing instructor and volunteer Beth Gilhuly, a downloadable and printable pattern and a slideshow of its volunteers at work. The direct link to the website: www.chhh.org/masks-for-community.
Community also has mask kits available at both of its locations: 1035 11th Ave., Longview and 3102 NE 134th St., Vancouver. To coordinate a pickup, call Tiffany Stephens at (360) 567.3515 or email tiffany.stephens@chhh.org.
