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Cleveland Area Family Business Pins and Needles Establishes the Million Mask Challenge to Combat the Coronavirus You Can Join!

   Answering the Call: Cleveland Area Family Business Pins and Needles Establishes the Million Mask Challenge to Combat the Coronavirus You Can Join!

 It is said that “when the going gets tough, the tough get going.” However, even this phrase may not be enough to describe the extraordinary efforts expended by Jan Brostek, owner of Pins and Needles, to fight the pandemic we now all face.
   When Cleveland area hospitals began to experience a mask shortage, they reached out to Cleveland area family business, Pins and Needles, to mobilize an army of people who both love to sew and help others, to create fabric masks to fill the void.
   University Hospitals first contacted Jan Brostek on a Saturday night, making a request for 10,000 masks in a period of three weeks. However, recognizing that everyone was in need of a mask, Ms. Brostek put on the afterburners and launched the Million Mask Challenge, a global sew-a-thon to support healthcare workers and those in need. She estimates that through the global connections she established, her campaign has inspired the creation of 26 million masks.
   Clear, understandable video tutorials to sew the masks are available for those who wish to join the Million Mask Challenge at www.pinsandneedles.com Ms. Brostek stated that the many acts of kindness and the personal notes which often accompany a donation of masks at times bring her to tears. She tells of touching stories such as of a young couple buying a used sewing machine to contribute to the cause, of men “coming out of the woodwork” to sew or cut fabric and the many people who donate their own supplies when creating masks.
   For individuals without supplies, businesses have thoughtfully stepped forward. Ms. Brostek credits Legend Headwear of Cleveland and GLI Pool Products of Youngstown for reaching out to contribute to the making of kits which individuals can then sew into completed masks.
The medical professionals who collaborate with Ms. Brostek tell her it is anticipated that the N95 respirators and surgical grade masks will be in short supply for some time to come. Therefore, following the CDC (Center for Disease Control) guidelines is crucial and fabric masks for the general public is recommended. In fact, they tell her, for those who are making masks, it is just as important to provide masks to relatives and friends as it is to donate to hospitals, as limiting the spread in the community is also an essential component of protecting healthcare workers. (The CDC also provides instructions for mask making and other critical information at www.cdc.gov/coronavirus)

   We all may contribute to containing this crisis in different ways, but Ms. Brostek suggests that even if you’ve never sewn, you may enjoy this challenge. The sewing community, she says, is very special, and the mask challenge grew out of other philanthropic work. The sewing community has been making baby blankets, dolls and other items for donation to hospitals for some time and along the way, people also make friends.
   While we await a medical breakthrough from the community of scientists, let us hope that the virus is slowed by an army that sews。