BUCYRUS — Many residents across the county and beyond are keeping busy during the governor’s stay at home order to help decrease the spread of the COVID-19 Coronavirus by making masks to help protect healthcare workers.
Tracy Van Buskirk of Crazy Craftaholics in Bucyrus has created T-shirts and an array of other crafts over the years but has switched gears to make the much-needed masks.
“I’ve had help with pinning and turning from Makayla Schwartz and sewing from Beckie Shope, while I sew the finished product,” Van Buskirk said. “We have completed 450 masks, donating them to the Jefferson Township and Iberia fire departments, Portsmouth Ambulance, Avita Hospitals, Altercare of Bucyrus, other nursing homes and many individuals.”
She said she began making them because she heard there is a need for them and wanted to help in any way that she could while being at home.
“I had some fabric and elastic on hand, but the need for them around our community was greater than what I had on hand and what I could afford, so I reached out to friends. Shanna Bays pulled through with so many yards of fabric, elastic, and ribbon to further our productions,” Van Buskirk said. “I was even able to complete custom shirt orders among the chaos of mask materials in my craft room.”
Linda Curtis Campbell of Galion is part of a large group of people that have collectively sewn more than 1,000 face masks so far.
“The masks are being distributed mainly to Crawford and Richland county front line medical workers,” Curtis Campbell said. “Each person is helping to make masks for the local hospital, and they are also making and distributing masks to other groups. Some of these include nursing homes, emergency workers and volunteer fire departments.”
She said her group has requests from others on Facebook from as far away as Kentucky and North Carolina.
“I am beyond grateful for each person that has stepped up and volunteered to do this. We have been blessed to have help from the community to get the supplies we need. Most of us have an ample supply of fabric but the elastic for these masks has been a bigger challenge,” Curtis Campbell said. “We have been very resourceful. Hair ties and hair bands have become a big part of our process. In the weeks to come, I am sure more masks will be needed. If anyone would like to join our mission, please feel free to reach out. We also have a member in Holmes County providing masks for frontline workers.”
Jena Starr of rural Crestline said she heard in the news about the shortage of masks, so she wrote a post on her personal Facebook page and on her boutique page, Country Custom and Crafts, asking if anyone was in need in them.
“A few nurse friends had commented back and said yes. The CDC had posted a link of patterned material. I just followed their instructions and started making them,” Starr said.
Starr enlisted the help of her mom, Sherry Lilly, who learned to sew when she was only nine years old while in 4-H.
“I saw the need for masks and thought that it was a way I can help while sheltering in,” Lilly said.
The mother-daughter duo has donated the masks to a variety of places, including Bucyrus Community Hospital, Kroger, nurse friends, and friends who want them for their grandparents.
“I have shipped a few to California and Georgia to some of our Army family,” said Starr, whose husband served in the Army.
Well-known David Lady and his wife Laura, created scary masks for movies in Hollywood for several years before returning to Crawford County, purchasing a home in Chatfield that they offered as the Haunted Hotel for several years during the Halloween season.
“Laura spent has been making sewn fabric masks with her sister, Carol Hicks. They haven’t given any out yet, but they’ve been using those little elastic hair tie-back things as the strings since elastic can’t be found right now. They’ll be working on more during this week,” David Lady said. “Laura Lady, who usually works on scary monster masks, is currently making fabric dust masks instead.”
Crystal Shuster works at Carlisle Place Assisted Living in Bucyrus and said she is grateful of masks made by Judy Lust for her and her coworkers.
“We are very appreciative,” Shuster said.
Alice Matthews of Galion saw the need for the masks and set about learning how to make them.
“I have a craft room full of material and cording and elastic, so I went on YouTube and Pinterest and watched videos,” Matthews said. “I called Joann Fabrics because they were giving kits away. They said I could come to buy stuff which is foolish since Friday I made 140. I have sent 60 to a nursing home in Columbus, a friend drove them there.”
She has also donated masks to Heartland Nursing Home in Bucyrus, the Martin House in Ashland, Signature in Galion and to independent home healthcare workers.
“I sew fast. If anyone needs masks, they can contact me,” Matthews said.
Kimberly Smith-Harigle of Bucyrus began creating the masks to be able to help others and to keep her mind off the pandemic.
“Sewing helps me relax and controls my anxiety in this whole crazy situation,” Smith-Harigle said.
She said she figured out her own pattern after modifying masks she found online.
“I have given them to one of the local funeral homes because they couldn’t find any and needed some. I have given some to home health aides and have sent some out of state to friends and people that have reached out that need them,” Smith-Harigle said.
Jen Parr Fetter, owner of The Sewing Shop at 125 W. Rensselaer St., in Bucyrus, said she began making masks last week with Dana Stang.
She said she has experimented with different methods and materials to create masks that will protect the healthcare workers and be more comfortable for them.
“We have donated to people working with the public at stores and plan on hitting doctor offices and smaller businesses that are still working,” said Parr Fetter, who is also still operating her business. “I am selling also to try to keep things moving so we can keep donating but we are donating more than anything.”
She said she and Stang are in need of headbands with buttons and foot covers are also needed but it is difficult to find enough elastic, which has been resoundingly an issue for all of the local mask makers.
Amy Whitmeyer-Parsons of Nevada has enlisted the help of her children and began creating masks March 20.
“It has been slow as I am trying to teach them. Also, different places are asking for different styles, so we have to watch different videos,” said Whitmeyer-Parsons, who is donating masks to local health workers that she knows. “Some may go to Akron Children’s Hospital as my son has health issues and they have a special place in our lives. They have protected and taken care of him through some rough situations.”
Marilyn Beran of Bucyrus made 15 masks this past week and donated them to Avita Hospitals.
“My future daughter-in-law, her mother, stepdad and sister all work at Avita. That was my reason to donate there, I want to keep my family safe,” said Beran. “I plan to make more as I know they are still needed.”
Julie Light-Copper is a member of the Fabric, Fiber and Fun, a group of people in Bucyrus who are making masks to donate to local nursing homes and hospitals.
Bucyrus resident Misty Myers just began making the masks and will donate them to nursing homes, to people who are working in the food pantry and to people who deliver food to the elderly.
“I deliver food to the elderly and ran out of masks so I looked on YouTube and found a pattern I thought I could do,” Myers said.
Janice Auck has made masks for Orchard Park, Maplecrest and a health care office in Marion while Gloria Nelson has donated to Heartland and the local kidney dialysis center and Linda Gubernath has made them for Avita Hospitals and food pantry workers.
Brandy Shafer said her mom and stepdad, Beverly and Lane Carlisle who own XT-Innovations in Bucyrus, are donating their time and sewing talents to create adult and children masks for Galion Community Hospital.
Gayle Godwin Sweeney is making masks in her spare time when she is not working away from home as an essential worker.
“My mom taught me to sew when I was young and it’s a hobby of mine,” Sweeney said. “I feel the need to give back to my community and help in any way I can. I might not get as many made as some people, but together we can fill a great need.”