Making masks a way of contributing

By: Wendy Hrynkiw Posted: 11:22 AM CST Friday, Nov. 27, 2020

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 27/11/2020 (920 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

North Kildonan resident Carole Sinnott has been very busy at her sewing machine during the COVID-19 pandemic, sewing masks for Face Masks for Manitoba, a local organization that provides free reusable face masks to any Manitoban who needs (and requests) one.

To date, they have distributed over 12,000 masks to the elderly, schools, teachers, non-profits and hospitals, to name a few.

Face Masks for Manitoba is a group of volunteers. Sinnott has been sewing her whole life for enjoyment and saw a need for her sewing skills in early March, as the crisis developed.

“It started as something to occupy my time while at home,” Sinnott said. “By making masks for family and friends from leftover fabric from previous projects.”

Then one day she saw an article about Face Masks for Manitoba, contacted them to donate fabric and, at the same time, requested a kit to make masks.

Once a week, a package is dropped off at her home containing everything she needs to make 24 to 30 masks, including fabric, elastic, thread and pins. At the same time, the masks she made in the past week are picked up.

Sinnott estimated she has made over 1,600 masks since she started.

“It gives me a feeling of contribution,” Sinnott said. “For people who go out to work and have children in school, they need many masks to cover all the days of the week and all the members of the family; this can get quite costly”

Ratna Pandey, an organizer at Face Masks for Manitoba, said “Carole has been one of our most awesome team members. She makes 60 to 65 masks per week and is a sewing superstar.

“(She) has been a backbone volunteer for us, and we couldn’t do it without Carole and the other volunteers like her.”

Pandey’s 14-year-old daughter, Jaya Cosway, is the lead organizer of Face Masks for Manitoba, which currently has orders for over 5,000 masks.

It is a donation-based group and is running low on funds and supplies. If you have fabric to donate, find their GoFundMe page to donate to this wonderful cause.

“Our goal is to do our part to help slow the spread of COVID-19, and to bring a little bit of comfort and security back to Manitobans during this crisis,” Pandey said.

Visit www.facemaskmb.com to learn more about how to request a free mask, how to volunteer to sew, or how to donate.

Wendy Hrynkiw is a community correspondent for East Kildonan. Email her at wendyhrynkiw@shaw.ca

To date, they have distributed over 12,000 masks to the elderly, schools, teachers, non-profits and hospitals, to name a few.

Supplied photo by Clark Sinnott
North Kildonan’s Carole Sinnott sews 60 to 65 masks per week for Face Masks for Manitoba. — Supplied photo by Clark Sinnott North Kildonan’s Carole Sinnott sews 60 to 65 masks per week for Face Masks for Manitoba.