Kindness in Crisis

By Virgi Laska

Stockton Sentinel

SEWING THE PIECES TOGETHER: Janie Lowry, Judy Russ and Idona Duncan, who are members of the Crossroads Quilt Guild, have joined together with several other volunteers and are using their sewing abilities for a good cause as they sew masks, skull caps and blankets to donate to the hospitals, family members and community members during the coronavirus pandemic.

Janie started sewing the masks when she received a call from a friend in Texas asking her about sewing masks for family members who are working on the frontline at the hospitals. Janie started sewing after the call, and ended up sending more than 30 masks to Texas as well as skull caps for the doctors and nurses, and she hasn’t stopped since.

Judy Russ is not only sewing masks to be donated, she is also sewing lap blankets which are being sent to hospitals to give to people who are waiting to be tested or are already being treated. This is in addition to the baby blankets she sews throughout the year which are also donated to medical facilities.

Idona Duncan said they have raided the Quilt Guild closet for cotton fabrics, quarter-inch elastic, binding and buttons to make the masks and are busy assembling as many as they can as fast as they can. Idona said they work on the masks like an assembly line with volunteers doing different jobs to accomplish the finished products. Volunteers helping include Gloria Harris, Clarene Goodheart, Linda Colburn, Galen Peterson, Kathy Creighton, Alicia Pulec, Tasha Fabin, Breckin Fabin, Karen Reed and Diane Maddy. And everyone is helping in their own way, whether that is sewing, donating materials, or driving the finished products to the hospitals and other facilities, etc.

They are also sewing different styles of masks in several sizes with some having filters sewn in them while others have a pocket so reusable filters can be added. Janie said people can use paper towels, coffee filters, or paper bags as filters as long as you can breathe through them. You also want to make sure you cannot see through the mask. Janie has put the pattern on the Quilt Guild Facebook page for anyone who would like to sew their own masks.

Since the ladies started sewing the masks, they have been sent to family members, the Rooks County Health Center, and places in Kansas, Texas, Arizona, Colorado. The ladies are not keeping a tally of how many masks, and skull caps they are making, and will continue to make more as needed, though they are running low on supplies. So if anyone has any materials they would like to donate, please contact them! It’s like making a quilt, when all the pieces come together, the end result is a beautiful creation of community.