Face Mask Update

by Sara Laferte

On Tuesday, Beatriz, our face mask sewist (that's the current way to describe someone who sews), delivered 104 new face masks. Since we started this project with your generous help, she has made about 580 masks. The masks have gone as gifts to volunteers at the Richmond Emergency Food Pantry, the Souper Center, a church kitchen in Berkeley, Elmwood Convalescent Hospital, and to a Kaiser nurse in Vallejo who calls on small group homes and convalescent facilities.

A dozen masks went to homeless people in El Cerrito, and another dozen were handed to people shopping at Safeway without masks. About 160 masks went to the prison hospital in Vacaville, thanks to a grant from Board of Missions.

Many masks went to members of our congregation and their friends and families, and those people donated generously in return, often paying for their own masks and one or two more. We always add a note saying where the masks come from -- Arlington Community Church -- and I have received such kind thank-yous for the beautiful masks which were so appreciated and useful.

Several times it has looked as if we might be at the end of this project. But the beat does go on, and just recently we've received a request for as many masks as we can provide from the Center for Elders' Independence in Oakland. We're looking for additional donations of fabric and money; they will go to good use. If you would like to make a donation, please send a check to Arlington Community Church with the words "face mask" in the memo line. If you have cotton percale or calico fabric to donate, please email me at sara.laferte@yahoo.com. Thank you, and please keep safe and well.