As demand for face masks grows, people are answering the call

WAREHAM, Mass. — After the CDC changed its recommendations on face masks, the demand for them is skyrocketing. There are businesses stepping up but there are also individuals in their kitchens and living rooms also trying to fill in the blanks.

As the demand for fabric masks grows, people with varying degrees of sewing skills are trying to answer the call.

“I happened to have a sewing machine,” said Cindy Hicks of Wareham.

Members of a Facebook group called ‘the Massachusetts Mask Connection’ are making hundreds.

“It’s been a really emotional journey,” Hicks said. “And, you know, there really isn’t much you can do right now to help. The only thing you can do is to stay home.”

Doing what they can to help in a time when many feel helpless.

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“I cry every morning,” said Sarah Smith of Wareham.

The group “Moroccan American Connections in Revere” has a goal to make a thousand per week.

“It just feels so good,” said Said Zerrai, the co-founder of the organization. “This city, and the country in general, it gave us so many opportunities when we came from our home country Morocco, and this is time for us to give back.”

“This is the first time I got to experience the expression when the people said all the community came together,” added Rachid Moukhabir, another co-founder. “I got this opportunity to really experience it, I saw people really jumping on this. They are not looking for any compensation or anything, but to save our city.”

Although the face masks are not medical-grade, two Boston-based public health experts say they strongly support homemade masks, saying that, they believe, they could cut down on the spread of COVID-19 by up to 20%.

“There are healthcare workers and regular everyday people who are worried, and they need something to cover their face with, but they don’t want to take the medical supplies,” Smith said.

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You don’t need a sewn mask. The CDC and local officials say at this point any fabric to cover your face will do. Whatever you use, make sure you wash it frequently.

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