Group sews masks to help essential workers

The New Connecticut Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution is lending a helping hand to healthcare and other essential workers on the front lines of the novel coranavirus pandemic.

The chapter responded to the medical mask shortage by hand-sewing masks to donate to local essential workers in the most need, with one member alone sewing 1,186 masks, according to a news release.

As of May 6, the various Daughters of the American Revolution Chapters of North East Ohio have sewn and donated 1,319 masks to USO of Northern Ohio. Many more masks have been donated to local hospitals, ambulance services, nursing homes, and other locations.

“While we are each doing our part to slow the spread of the virus by staying at home, the DAR members in our chapter wanted to do more to give back to those working hard to keep our community healthy and safe,” said Northeast Ohio District Director Debby Kocsis in the release. “We know these are tough times for everyone and wanted to do whatever we could to spread a little sunshine and help take care of our community.”

Nationwide, DAR chapters from all 50 states have been participating in the organization’s Service to America From Home initiative with more than 284,210 masks already being donated and tens of thousands more produced every day to be distributed in local communities, the release stated.

“I am exceptionally proud of what DAR members are accomplishing as part of a proud tradition of service that dates to our 1890 founding,” DAR President General Denise Doring VanBuren said in the release. “In difficult times like these, we know that it is not the emergency that defines us, but how we respond to it.”