Many people are using their talents to give back during the pandemic. Some ladies on my Facebook really impressed me with their mask making journey. So I reached out to them and invited them to share their story with my readers. Let us take a look together:
Perfectly Imperfect
Alexa, a soon-to-be Junior girl scout with Troop 511, Girl Scouts of Chesapeake Bay, service unit 33, started making masks because she wanted to help make a difference. Being stuck at home gives her a lot of free time. She wasn’t sure how she could help during this pandemic at first, but then saw a fun patch opportunity for Girl Scouts. She had to make 15 masks in order to get the badge, and so that was her initial goal! Their friend Stephanie taught her step by step via FaceTime how to make her first mask. Stephanie then made a tutorial and Alexa took off with making masks.
Alexa's mom Julianny lived in South River, N.J. Her family (parents, sister, and brother) still live in the town. Alexa's Dad Steven is from North Brunswick, N.J. and his family still lives there. Alexa has two younger sisters, Emily and Amber. The family moved to Delaware in 2007 because Steven is in the military and they were stationed here. He was active duty but now they are in the reserve unit at Dover AFB. Alexa's grandfather helped her via FaceTime with troubleshooting and teaching her how to use a sewing machine.
"Really he taught her everything we know, and (Alexa) probably wouldn't have made many without his help!" Julianny told me.
Alexa made masks for her family first, and then a few neighbors also wanted some. She kept getting requests and it made her feel great that people were using her masks and sharing with their friends. She then got a request from Med Express in Dover, Del. When she delivered the masks to the medical center and saw how grateful the staff were, she decided to continue.
At first Julianny was helping Alexa but then Emily and Amber wanted to help as well. They all needed some sort of distraction from being stuck at home. With their help Alexa reached 500 masks in mid-May. "I am so incredibly proud of them!" said Julianny.
Alexa's business is called “Perfectly Imperfect” because her masks are made by a 9, 7 and 4-year-old at times. She doesn’t feel she should charge for something that is not perfect. Also she wants to help those who need it. With the help of their neighbor Mike, they have been able to make bands to go with her masks to help ensure they fit properly.
Alexa is still making masks at a much slower rate now and plans to help those who still need masks! She has donated to hospitals in Delaware and New Jersey, medical offices, paramedics, police officers and people in their community who can’t afford masks. Julianny's sister-in-law is a nurse in one of the New Jersey hospitals and they sent some for her and her coworkers!
They have shipped masks to New Jersey, New York, Mississippi, and even Toronto, Canada! Julianny would like to express their appreciation for their community:
"We have been blessed because our community has stepped up and donated fabric and elastic to Alexa! We have also gotten donations from people who have gotten masks from Alexa and we have been able to use that for supplies also. We would not have been able to get to 500 if it wasn’t for their help! It really is a team effort and she is so glad to be giving back to the community!"
SOMa Sewing Volunteer
Mimi from Livingston, N.J. is a SOMa Sewing volunteer. Her journey started March 25 when the lack of PPE [personal protective equipment] prompted a demand of fabric masks.
"Although fabric masks are not medical grade and are not meant to replace a surgical mask, it does help prolong the life of a N95 masks. It feels good to be able to put my sewing skills for a good cause," said Mimi.
Mimi joined the Facebook group SOMa Sewing Volunteers which started March 27, and they have donated 20,000 masks to multiple hospitals and other facilities. They have broadened their list to organizations, as hospitals are better equipped with PPEs.
Mimi has personally donated to a few medical friends in New York. Three weeks ago, along with sewing for the group, Mimi decided to sell fabric masks for personal use. After a number of trials and errors, she found that the curved mask is more comfortable to wear. "Per my 3-year-old, he can breath...LOL," Mimi told me.
She purchases her fabrics from JoAnn's fabric store. The curved style masks for personal use are made to order, and customized with 2-in-1 reversible masks, as well as with adjustable elastics. If anyone is interested in purchasing one they can message Mimi on Facebook. If anyone knows an organization in need of fabric masks, they can email Mimi at mimi_li22@yahoo.com and she will add them to their SOMa list (if it is not already on it).
Title image is taken by me (the author) with my 3 girls, ages 12, 10, and 5, wearing Mimi's curved style 2-in-1 reversible masks, customized with their favorite designs. Pictures and story of "Perfectly Imperfect" are provided by Julianny with her permission to share. Pictures and story of Mimi's mask making journey are provided by Mimi herself.