The collective kindness of strangers continues to know no bounds in the community.
What started as a small-scale call to action has blossomed into the creation and distribution of one thousand masks in the Foothills region to fight against the spread of COVID-19 through the dedication and ingenuity of the Masked Mamas online group.
“Now that there’s more of us a few of us have met in the past, but the initial group we had never met in person before,” said Masked Mamas founder Anastasiya Shapka. “And because of the restrictions we can’t really go meet in a group to figure this stuff out so this has all been figured out remotely with strangers who have now become friends.
“The materials are going from donation points to one house to the next and it’s been interesting logistics and a really strange and amazing experience to work with people who don’t know each other, but are willing to work on the same goal.”
Shapka, who also set up the Stone Soup Okotoks Facebook group to help those in need at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, saw the Masked Mamas evolve from a couple members to its current size by harnessing the power of social media.
“I was looking at cloth masks for a while and when Dr. Tam (Chief Public Health Officer of Canada Theresa Tam) said that they’re now somewhat recommended I tried my hand at making them,” Shapka said. “And then I realized that a lot of people might not have access to a sewing machine, material and the stores are mostly closed or have huge delays to get fabric so I put a call out to see if anybody wants to try and make them.”
Quite a few answered the call.
“We had some really good people respond and they spread the word and it’s kind of taken on its own life now,” she said. “I had a very small vision for the group, I was thinking do a few dozen masks for people we know and get a little bit of protection going.
“But it’s ballooned and people are really excited and really motivated.”
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Currently, the makeshift assembly line features 14 sewers, seven responsible for cutting and nine for the deliveries. The masks are non-medical and to be used with social distancing and hand hygiene.
“It is exactly like the Stone Soup story,” Shapka added. “One person has material, one has a rotary cutter and cuts it, one person sews it, one person delivers it.
“The enthusiasm, skill, and kindness of each of our volunteers is the reason we have been able to distribute one thousand masks in three weeks. Each person is a vital part of the team, and I am awed and grateful to each and every one of them.”
As of April 27, the group has distributed one thousand masks and raised $2,000 for the Okotoks Food Bank. The masks are free with donations encouraged to groups like the food bank or It Takes a Village or any local charity of choice. Shapka noted in lieu of monetary donations, folks can pay it forward through kindness.
For procuring the materials for the masks, the group quickly burned through their own stashes quickly and have since been relying on a stock of donations.
“We looked at the research out there for what’s going to be best for filtration and breathability and there’s not a lot of research because it’s pretty new,” Shapka said. “The best we can find is quilter’s cotton or 100 per cent non-stretch cotton that’s nice and thick.
“If you can’t find the quilter’s cotton, pillow cases, bed sheets and dress shirts have worked beautifully, if they’re one-hundred per cent cotton, and then we use either quarter-inch elastic or we make our own ties for the masks. For the ties, we cut up either cotton t-shirts or cotton pyjamas and those roll into beautiful ties and they fit a little better.
“And then we use pipe-cleaner for the nose-piece to make it fit better, so things we have lying around.”
The Kinsmen Club of Okotoks has been aiding in finding volunteers and getting the word out along with covering the cost to purchase material with an order set to arrive next week.
"Both myself and my daughter are very high risk and I just happened to be on Facebook and saw this group and sent them a message looking for masks for myself and my daughter," said Neven Wilson, treasurer of the Kinsmen Club of Okotoks. "And next thing you know I said 'hey how would you guys like some help from the Kinsmen Club? I'm sure we could help you out financially.'
"We have the Show and Shine and the Kinsmen Club on Facebook and have a lot of people on there and just thought maybe we could help them through social media as well.
"Because we're not able to do events or fundraisers right now and we're not really able to get out there and help out the community and then by seeing this I saw this as an opportunity and reached out to the (Kinsmen). I said we're not doing much right now because of COVID, let's actually help a group that's helping out."
Shapka said there have been a number of stories of individuals and businesses who’ve benefited from the masks, from those volunteering time to cook and deliver food for the community as well as those who are high-risk to the virus.
“It’s been so heartening and encouraging seeing that people do want to give back and they get really creative with how they want to do it,” Shapka said. “For our drivers, we had 30 who offered to sign up, we just don’t have that many masks to go out. It’s been amazing seeing the outpouring of love and support and just people wanting to give back and do what they can.
“It’s been amazing.”
For those making the masks as well as those receiving them.
“If I’m having a longer day I will just go sew and the repetitive action where you don’t have to think a whole lot has been proven to be quite relaxing, almost meditative,” Shapka said.
“The cutting and sewing can be quite nice for a stress relief and then you have that nice bonus when you finish a stack of masks or finish a stack of ties and you can something tangible that you’ve done and you know this is going to go towards protecting the community.
“It’s a double whammy for anxiety treatment.”
For more information find the Masked Mamas on Facebook.
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