Hospitals across the country have issued pleas for donations as they face severe shortages of facemasks due to the COVID-19 crisis. Talented home sewers from the Lake Minnetonka Chapter DAR have risen to the challenge.
When the Minneapolis Veterans Administration Medical Center requested handcrafted fabric masks, Lake Minnetonka DAR members eagerly responded with nearly 200 colorful fabric masks to donate to the Hospital’s frontline workers. “We already donate hand-knitted scarves to the veterans through this facility so we were more than happy to help with their request for masks as well,” says Chapter Regent, Gigi Hickey. The chapter’s masks have also been donated elsewhere, including to essential workers at the Minnesota Children’s Hospital and local pharmacists.
The sewers quickly ran out of supplies. “We have completely exhausted personal and local store supplies of elastic and bias tape,” says Hickey. The sewers were undaunted by this supply shortage. “We got creative and used seam binding, ribbons, and homemade binding to keep sewing. Now we are eagerly awaiting our online supply orders and will keep sewing when they arrive.”
Nationwide, more than 700 chapters of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution from all 50 states have participated in the effort to contribute handcrafted facemasks. As of May 23, members have sewn more than 400,000 facemasks nationally to donate to essential workers and others in need.
“I am so proud of what our DAR members are accomplishing as part of a proud tradition of service that dates to our 1890 founding,” says Denise Doring VanBuren, DAR President General. She adds, “In difficult times like these, I like to remember that it is not the emergency that defines us, but how we respond to it.”
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