Two neighborhood friends in Manitowoc want to help others during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Joanne Staudt and Nan Oswald are making fabric masks from donated materials to assist local health-care providers and the general public as well. Staudt, who is a quilter, tells us she began sewing the masks 3 and a half to 4 weeks ago, but really didn’t have an outlet for them.
Enter Nan Oswald, who also gathers the donated material washes it in hot water, irons it and then cuts out the fabric pieces for Staudt to make into masks. Joanne explained that she’s made about 500 of the PPE’s with those distributed to Holy Family Memorial, several Kwik Trip stores and other locations based on word of mouth orders.
Staudt told us they’re not charging for the masks but are accepting donations earmarked for the Lakeshore Humane Society.
She makes anywhere from 60-to-70 per day starting in the morning and working until nighttime, with breaks only for lunch and dinner. The biggest problem Staudt has is getting one-eighth inch elastic material, which is scarce and has to be ordered. If you have one-eighth inch elastic in your sewing supplies to donate, contact them on Facebook.
The two women are also making patriotic red-white-and-blue masks featuring flags & stars for the Manitowoc Fire Department. Joanne said the two of them will make the protective masks until the need is gone.
Staudt says she & the Oswald’s have been helped by others in the community and it’s “their chance to do something for somebody else.”
The message is “Pay-It-Forward and not expect anything in return.”
