Local seamstress, Bunney Kessler, has been doing her part to make masks for healthcare workers and hospitalized patients affected by COVID-19. And she’s not alone, a facebook group titled 500 Masks for CVRMC now has 44 members. The group is hoping to fill a missing void in hospital supplies by creating 500 usable masks and donating them to Cobre Valley Regional Medical Center.

Evelyn Vargas, from CVRMC, approved a pattern for use, and a team of seamstress’s city wide got to work.

“I run Hill Street Mall and we wanted to help. We also made a fabric donation to 4H so that others can help too,” said Kessler.

Kessler and Holly Brantley are also making these masks to sell for $5 a piece.

Pamela Griffin already finished 40 masks and shipped them out to her sister who is an ICU nurse on the COVID floor in New Jersey. “I’m currently cutting out the ones for our hospital,” said Griffin. “I find that doing it assembly line is faster for me. I’m trying to go through my quilt stash to find some fun and colorful fabrics in this scary crisis. I’ll keep making them until I run out of elastic!”

CVRMC’s Evelyn Vargas told the Arizona Silver Belt that currently, all healthcare facilities, including emergency responders, need personal protective equipment. Not only facemasks, but gowns, gloves, and goggles, too. CVRMC is tracking the inventory and utilization rates of these items daily and is in constant contact with suppliers for availability.

“CVRMC has requested homemade masks (not considered PPE by the CDC) from members of our community in preparation for a “Crisis Capacity” situation,” said Vargas. “Lee Ann Powers took the lead on this effort and has mobilized many amazing community members to cut and sew the “Olson Mask,” a pattern that is being used by many other hospital facilities who are in short supply. CVRMC leaders in Infection Control and Nursing will determine the best utilization and distribution of these homemade masks.”

Other efforts include the making of several “face shields” using a 3-D printer by Copper Rim, third-grade teacher, Jeff Battese. Battese has made several for the San Carlos Apache Healthcare Corporation as well as CVRMC. CVRMC is also reaching out to mining companies, construction companies, and other organizations that may have excess PPE – N95 masks, surgical masks, gowns, and goggles.