Masks for the Food Bank
Demand is great, and I’ve now made over 3,000 masks,
including these lovely sea-inspired ones worn by my writing retreat pals, raising thousands of dollars for local food banks and school backpack programs. The latter (facilitated by the St. Vincent de Paul Society in Wolfville) is even more important now that Nova Scotia is reopening schools at full capacity in September. Masks are now mandatory in all indoor public places in Nova Scotia, and people are being super-compliant. We’ve been pretty much Covid-free for several weeks now, although that will change once all the interior Canadian borders reopen – date TBA, and people start flying around the country more often. I’m really getting frustrated by not seeing Liam & Rachel, Shannon & Peter (and sweet puppy Winnie)
and feeling as if I may book a flight to Ontario very soon, although I’d have to quarantine for 14 days upon returning…
People have been very generous in donating in exchange for my homemade 100% cotton masks, but I’ve had to start putting each one in a plastic bag after someone was trying them on at the local farm market, the amazing staff of which is kindly selling them for me!! Some people…
Haven’t done much writing/art with all this mask-making, but I’m seizing the opportunity to raise money and do some good, and honestly, I don’t see mask-wearing disappearing anytime soon. If the entire world had made masks mandatory at the outset (as Thailand did; 70 million people, 3,300 or so cases), would we all be in a lot better place than we find ourselves in August, 2020?
How’s the battle going in your neck of the woods?
Jan L. Coates - "What if...?" 
Over three thousand masks? Wow. That’s a full time job you’ve been doing. Thumbs up 🙂
Over here, our sheltering in place has not lifted even for a moment. Four bay area counties have been essentially locked down for four and a half months now. What is frustrating is that the number of new cases have increased and , not abated. There’s much we don’t know about this whole thing.
Love that puppy Winnie!
Hi, Mirka. So hard to imagine how something so tiny has rocked the entire world. Every day it seems we say things we never could have imagined less than a year ago – like, “cute mask.” Hope you’re keeping busy with creative pursuits.
Bless your heart Jan. I hope you can return to your writing and drawing.
Here, in SC, cases are going up (we expected it with more testing) but treatments are better and death rate is going down. The doctors know that it’s not just a respiratory infection. The people who have more severe reactions are being treated with medicines to calm the immune system/inflammation.
Schools are poised to open in a couple of weeks but parents can also choose to keep their children home or have a combination. Masks are mandatory in all public indoor spaces here as well. But there are lots of people out of work, lots of businesses closing up shop and the requests for food items at the food pantry is growing, growing, growing. Praying for all who are sick, suffering and dying.
So sad, Vijaya. And it seems we’re going to have to learn to live with Covid, as it seems unlikely it’ll be eradicated anytime soon, if ever. Meanwhile, I just keep making masks, which is excellent busy work; keeps me from being frustrated about not getting to see my Ontario kids for so long…
Congrats on doing such a great, important job! I found it impossible to buy masks in stores, so I ordered some online: owls for me and helicopters for my husband. We’ve both received compliments on them. Once I was standing in line at the grocery store and the little girl in front of me waved and said “Hi!”
The number of new cases in Ontario has been below 100 for about a week. Toronto has been in Phase 3 for about a week, most of the rest of Ontario for about 2 weeks or maybe 3. I’m nervous for the kids going back to school and for the teachers. In normal times, if one kid in a class gets the flu, they all do. This is so much more contagious than the flu. I think all kids, even the little ones, should wear masks and should be at least 2 metres apart (not one). Or they should continue home schooling.
Hi, Barb. The school question is controversial, that’s for sure. My daughter teaches in Kingston, ON, and she’s very nervous about the approaching school year. Of course, it’s ridiculous to think that elementary kids will keep two meters apart for any length of time, as well as the fact that most classrooms would never allow for that kind of spacing. I really expect schools will open, then close again – with all those kids travelling on buses, with all those different “bubbles” mixing, Covid is bound to arrive in schools sooner rather than later. I’m thinking of booking a one-way flight to Ontario to see my Toronto/Kingston kids – as it stands now, we still have to quarantine for 14 days in Nova Scotia after we return from other parts of Canada.
Well done, Jan. Mask wearing is mandatory here in Spain too. Numbers have gone up since tourists have been allowed in but not too bad. We are all being very vigilant. I agree, we will be earing masks for a long time. I am getting some to match my outfits now. Take care and stay safe.
I think lots of people are realizing they’ll need a variety of masks/fabrics:) I find the ones I’m making are pretty comfortable, and I’m used to it. Can’t imagine it’ll work very well with school-age kids, though. Time will tell… Looks like you’re keeping busy!