A group based in the Winona Lake, Ind., Grace Brethren Church have made more than 14,000 masks since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Yesterday, the online news site, InkFreeNews, featured the group. A portion of the story appears below. Click here to read the complete article.
Pincushion Pals Make 14,000 Masks For Community
Ann Sweet and a group called the Pincushion Pals have made 14,000 masks to give those in the community who need them since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. They’ve received support from Sweet’s church, Winona Lake Grace Brethren, during the process. Pictured during a donation of masks to Warsaw Community Schools earlier this year are, from left: Mask cutter John Miller, seamstress Cathy Miller, Warsaw Community Schools Superintendent Dr. David Hoffert, Sweet and Winona Lake Grace Brethren Church’s Dave Rank.
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, many individuals have stepped up to make masks for those who might have trouble getting them.
Ann Sweet, of Warsaw, is one such person. In fact, she’s helped to provide 14,000 of them.
With the other members of her group, Pincushion Pals, Sweet has helped make the masks since last spring. They’ve distributed the masks to nursing homes, schools and elsewhere in the community.
Sweet started the mask-making process in March to help a friend that worked at Cardinal Services.
The project morphed and grew to the Pincushion Pals making them. Sweet said at one point there were 16-18 people sewing the masks.
Some of the seamstresses have gone to Florida for the winter, so right now there are six women sewing. They’re assisted by three people who cut the fabric.
Sweet says seamstresses make four-five masks an hour, depending on how fast they sew. The group makes both adult and child masks, plus ones for people with hearing aids.
Masks have gone all over the place in the county and beyond.
Pincushion Pals donated 2,000 to Warsaw Community Schools, 350 each to Wawasee and Whitko school corporations and 250 to Sacred Heart School, Warsaw. They also gave 200 to Grace Village Retirement Community, Winona Lake, and some to Timbercrest Senior Living Community, North Manchester.
The group also has given masks to the Department of Child Services, The Beaman Home of Warsaw, and Fellowship Missions, Warsaw. Every week, Sweet drops off about 100 masks at Warsaw-Wayne Fire Territory’s station across from Kroger for anyone in the community to get a mask.
Sweet said she’s “participated in any projects to help make life a little easier for the individuals and families of Warsaw/ Kosciusko County.”
Click here to read the complete article.
