Amanda Robinson, who is a health care administrator at The Legacy Willow Bend and her mother Cheryl Robinson have started to make these masks for the retirement center.
More than 200 residents of The Legacy Willow Bend retirement community are benefiting from a new solution to the serious shortage of face masks needed to protect against COVID-19. Last week, health care administrator Amanda Robinson enlisted her mother, Cheryl Robinson, to create their own version of the Type N-95 masks commonly used to ward off infectious diseases.
“Since we didn’t know how long the shortage would last, making our own masks was the best alternative,” said Amanda Robinson.
“We are charged with protecting the most vulnerable people, and we can’t get what we need. We also need to make our supply of Type N-95 masks last as long as possible.”
Using remnants from Cheryl Robinson’s quilting hobby, the two have formed an assembly-line set-up where Robinson cuts material in the evenings, and her mother sews during the day while Robinson is at work. The two have produced a few dozen masks thus far, but they need to produce more than 100 per day for at least the next 14 days.
“The masks are used by our team members to protect the residents, and our goal is to make enough masks to be able to provide clean ones to each shift.”
Robinson found a pattern for the masks online, but she and her mother have adapted it to make it easier and faster to produce. They utilize batting instead of three- or four-ply material to make the masks denser and provide better protection. The end result is a mask that is stronger and lasts longer through multiple washings.
“We get into this field to care for people and being part of The Legacy provides a way for us to give back to the generations that preceded us, so we are just trying to do our part to help our seniors,” said Amanda Robinson.
Thus far, only Robinson and her mother are involved in the sewing project, but resident seamstresses who belong to the community’s knitting group plan to step in to help, as well as sewing members of the volunteer group for The Legacy at Home. The community also welcomes help from area volunteers who can sew or donate material or material remnants.
To volunteer sewing help or to donate materials, email info@thelegacysc.org.
