cloth face masks – TFTC Gardens https://tftcgardens.org Empowering at-risk people with resiliency skills developed in spaces designed using trauma-informed research. Tue, 28 Apr 2020 18:17:51 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0 https://tftcgardens.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/cropped-TFTC-Gardens-Logo-Hummingbird-32x32.png cloth face masks – TFTC Gardens https://tftcgardens.org 32 32 Masks for Heroes project donates 27,000 cloth masks https://tftcgardens.org/masks-for-heroes-project-and-donates-27000-cloth-masks/ https://tftcgardens.org/masks-for-heroes-project-and-donates-27000-cloth-masks/#respond Sun, 26 Apr 2020 18:09:39 +0000 https://tftcgardens.org/?p=1092 Our nonprofit’s mission is to share resiliency skills with at-risk populations in spaces using trauma-informed research. During this unprecedented time, our space has become our homes, and our resiliency skill is making cloth masks for front line heroes. Our founder is a nurse working within her community, and she understands first hand the dire need for masks for all front line heroes. She has transitioned our cause temporarily to support our local communities during this global pandemic. This need led us to create and grow our Masks for Heroes project on March 21, 2020. Since that date, our volunteers have donated and mailed out over 27,000 cloth masks.

Our group has grown to 350 volunteers from across the country, sewing masks for front line heroes in hospitals, grocery stores, nursing homes, warehouses, manufacturing plants, and EMS personnel within 38 states. Our volunteers will continue providing cloth masks as long as they have materials to continue making cloth masks, and we have funding to cover shipping costs.

Anna Campbell is the Marketing and Community Relations Manager with TFTC Gardens. She shares, “our front line heroes continue to show up, day after day and sacrifice their wellbeing for ours, and it is an honor to be able to answer their call for cloth masks. We understand cloth masks are not PPE and support the production and supply of PPE to our medical professionals. During this time, this is how we can show them how much we care about them and appreciate everything they are doing for us.”

We are grateful for organizations partnering with us by donating their time, resources, and funds for our volunteers to continue making cloth masks and shipping them out. We thank Our Lady of La Vang Church in Raleigh, Ash Creek Baptist Church Mask Makers, Sew There Quilts and More, Moonlite Electric & Construction Inc., Lee’s Tailor in Apex, 9 Carvings LLC, ARS Extreme Construction, Lee’s Tailor in Triangle Mall, and Raleigh Little Theater for their support. We are also grateful for our volunteers who are flexing their well-experienced sewing muscles or learning how to sew for the first time.

Trauma Focused Therapeutic Community (TFTC) Gardens welcomes all volunteers who can sew. For more information about our Masks for Heroes project visit our webpage or Facebook group.

Photo courtesy of mask recipients: Montifer Hospital in Bronx, NY

]]> https://tftcgardens.org/masks-for-heroes-project-and-donates-27000-cloth-masks/feed/ 0 Masks for Heroes https://tftcgardens.org/masks-for-heroes/ https://tftcgardens.org/masks-for-heroes/#respond Sat, 21 Mar 2020 19:25:29 +0000 https://tftcgardens.org/?p=747 Current Need: Masks sewn for frontline workers throughout North Carolina and the United States of America.

We are supporting the use of PPE, we know and support the fact that cloth masks are not a replacement for PPE. We also support the correct laundering of masks using CDC guidelines to reduce infection risks. To further reduce the spread of infection all masks must be taken on and off using CDC guidelines, correctly discarded if contaminated with bodily fluids, washed regularly, use correct hand hygiene and avoid touching your face. We support the need to supply PPE to all areas including rural locations when available.

https://www.cdc.gov/infectioncontrol/guidelines/environmental/background/laundry.html

Requesting Masks?

We are grateful for your service as front line workers. At this time, we are accepting requests from official locations of hospitals, EMS, Police, and related front line heroes requesting cloth masks until we are no longer able to provide masks or cover the shipping costs of those masks.

Request cloth masks here: https://tftcgardens.org/request-cloth-masks/

You can see current and completed requests on our spreadsheet:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1X1n2H5tpVmP6Mch-cd0IzE-yu-YBVZh-dHj1Kk0C55U/edit?usp=sharing

How can you help?

We need people who can sew masks and ship them to front line workers across North Carolina and the United States of America. This site will be updated as information becomes available. Since March 21, 2020, our volunteers have provided 30,165 front line heroes with cloth masks in  AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, HI, IL, IN, KS, LA, MA, MD, MI, MO, Navajo Nation, NC, ND, NH, NM, NJ, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA, WA, WI & WY.

Not able to sew? That is ok – we are in need of fabric, materials, or donations to cover shipping costs. Every donation will be used for these mask resources.

Join our Facebook group and stay in the loop:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/MasksForHeroes/

Mask templates: 

We have several types of masks being requested. Masks with a pocket (they will insert their own filter), masks without a pocket, masks with elastic, and masks with ties. We include the type requested next to each location on our spreadsheet. Thank you!

Instructions:

Videos:

Face Shield template:

Scrub Cap Template:

Headband Template:

Ready to ship your masks? :

Contact Anna Campbell through our contact page when you have 20+ masks ready for shipment. She will provide you with the location address needing masks and a pre-paid USPS shipping label while funds are available. Then you can schedule a pick-up from your front door!

Who will receive masks?

All front line workers including doctors, nurses, medical admin, hospice workers, senior center staff, grocery store workers, and other emergency personnel. Since March 21, 2020, our volunteers have provided 30,165 front line heroes with cloth masks in  AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, HI, IL, IN, KS, LA, MA, MD, MI, MO, Navajo Nation, NC, ND, NH, NM, NJ, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA, WA, WI & WY.

How are financial donations used?

All financial donations received between March 21, 2020, and the end of this fundraiser will be used to create and ship masks to front line heroes. Any excess donations received during this timeframe will be donated towards a hospital and medical supply organization.

CDC Guidelines:

HCP use of homemade masks: In settings where facemasks are not available, HCP might use homemade masks (e.g., bandana, scarf) for the care of patients with COVID-19 as a last resort. However, homemade masks are not considered PPE, since their capability to protect HCP is unknown. Caution should be exercised when considering this option. Homemade masks should ideally be used in combination with a face shield that covers the entire front (that extends to the chin or below) and sides of the face.

Why is Trauma Focused Therapeutic Community (TFTC) Gardens coordinating this effort? 

Our founder is a nurse working within her community and she understands first hand the dire need for masks for all front line heroes. She has transitioned our cause temporarily to support our local communities during this global pandemic.

Recent Study: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4420971/?fbclid=IwAR2ofNcEHXQq2ghLPrhHQB4v2b0xHNg6IoRH0etT0ibkIXFimSBW3BikpBs

We acknowledge that research shows that cloth masks are not ideal but as the CDC has suggested in a shortage these are an option we are doing out best. If you do wear one of these masks please follow the CDC guideline on hand washing, not touching your face, and how to wash this fabric mask.

Disclaimer: 

We understand that these cloth masks are not a replacement for n95 surgical masks and they need to be used correctly to reduce the spread of disease. This website has been set up to maintain safety by providing instructions for making the masks, washing the masks, transporting them, and providing instructions to those who wear them.

Publicity:

Our project has been listed on these websites:

http://www.handsontriangle.org/other-volunteer-needs/

https://www.nc.gov/volunteer/volunteer-opportunities

 

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