A couple of weeks ago as COVID-19 progressed, Pax Christi community member, Becky Jensen, and many of the Pax Christi Quilters started making cloth face masks for family members and people they know in the medical profession using supplies they had on hand. Most quilters have some fabric on hand all the time! At that time, there were lots of mixed messages out there regarding the use of face masks in the general public as the need for medical use PPE is urgent for those doctors, nurses, and medical personnel working directly with patients. The CDC is now recommending that everyone wear a mask when going out in public. The guidelines tell us that wearing a mask does not prevent the wearer from getting the virus. We all still need to stay a minimum of 6 feet apart and wash our hands and surfaces frequently, but there does seem to be a benefit in wearing a mask to minimize the spread of the virus from someone who is infected to other people. Since this virus is contagious before someone knows they are sick, the CDC now recommends that everyone wear a mask. Due to this new recommendation, Becky is now coordinating a wider effort in the community to make these “general use” masks. The basic accepted pattern is easy - CLICK HERE. This is one that is deemed “approved” by Allina systems and Blue Cross Blue Shield. Even if you are able to make a few masks for your family and friends, we can potentially cover our Pax Christi family and friends one face at a time as each one reaches a few. Currently, Becky has requests from nursing homes and senior living facilities in our immediate community in the multiple hundreds for these masks. We want to help make it possible to coordinate the effort of many to meet that need, as well as meeting the need for your own households. Becky is assembling kits of five masks to be assembled with the supplies that she currently has. Anyone is welcome to assemble masks for their immediate family or for donation or both. If you would like to join the effort as a sewist or if you would like to donate fabric or notions that we need for the project, here’s how you can get connected: Contact Becky Jensen by email, beckyvjensen@comcast.net, or 952-941-2887, and leave voice mail message. If you would like to donate materials for this effort, HERE IS WHAT WE NEED: NEW elastic – ¼ to 3/8 inch sewing elastic is best NEW extra wide double fold bias tapeNEW twill tape NEW 100% cotton good quality fabric, such as is used in quilt-making…nothing smaller than 12” squares; yardage would be ideal HERE IS WHAT WE CANNOT USE: Old clothing or old used fabric, bed sheets etc. Hair ties or any other substitutes for brand new elastic. (These masks need to hold up under rigorous washing and sanitizing so old fabric and elastic just won’t work) Please DO NOT drop off donations at Pax Christi. Becky will coordinate drop off of supplies and pick up of kits with volunteers individually so that everyone is keeping appropriately physically distant.