Two sisters are taking strides to help medical officials fight this pandemic with a homemade mask system. Since the outbreak of COVID-19 in the United States, there was always a scare that supplies would run out. And due to the increase in cases throughout the nation, now it’s a reality. The demand for medical supplies and beds has increased since the outbreak, and Maryland is starting to face these same kinds of struggles. The need to protect our doctors and nurses has never been more crucial.
Sarah Liska and Jenny Meetre, twin sisters who grew up in Greenbelt, helped organize a homemade mask system that reaches hospitals across the area.
Their older sister, a registered nurse, told them about the shortage of personal protective equipment for nurses and doctors who are treating patients fighting the coronavirus. “She explained that the staff were going without masks, that they just didn’t have enough to distribute in the hospitals,” said Liska. When they started to brainstorm how to contribute, they researched and found a local group in Carroll County trying to help out in the same way. The group had a strong presence of people who sewed, so they teamed up and coordinated a group to distribute the product.
“We were helping them get up to speed setting up a structure and a flow with their group,” Meetre said. “And getting coordinators and leaders within the group for the sewers, making sure they all have supplies, making sure we have a consistent pattern to use.”
Because of their connection to Greenbelt, where Liska operates part of her real estate business and their parents still live, they decided to set up the same system here. It now has over 100 volunteers. See stories in the News Reviews of April 7 and 16.
They are currently working with a few hospitals in the area, but the list continues to grow as the demand increases. Some of the hospitals they’ve distributed to include Holy Cross Hospital, Doctors Community Hospital and UM Prince George’s Hospital Center.
“We’ve been sending supplies, getting people to share supplies and kind of creating a support network for people,” Meetre said.
One thing that keeps this system going is constant communication. Sharing information to make sure what patterns to use for the masks, if there are any shortages of supplies or need for any new materials.
“We’re looking at ways to keep them sewing,” said Meetre. The Greenbelt group has distributed over 1,500 masks so far and the demand for them continues.
Each mask takes roughly 20 minutes to make, but some people sew faster than others. “Some might take an hour for the mask, some 20 minutes. The cutting and cleaning up afterwards is probably one of the longest parts of it,” says Liska.
They’ve also received donations of materials from people who want to help the cause. Whether it’s elastic or T-shirts Greenbelters may have in their closet, they’ve received a lot of materials.
“People are cutting up fabric and T-shirts and things like that. They’re getting pretty resourceful on the types of materials and supplies they can use,” Meetre observed.
But with the increase in cases of COVID-19 and the requirement that the public now wear masks when shopping, the demand for masks continues to rise. In addition to the 1,000 masks going to hospitals and institutions there is a separate stream going to individuals – totaling close to another 500 masks.
Liska and Meetre say they are committed to helping bring masks to medical facilities and the community through the end of this pandemic in the hopes that it will give people encouragement in such a difficult time. For themselves, they agreed, “It gives everybody something to focus on as a way to bring positivity to a really tough situation.”
Madison Hunt is a student at the University of Maryland School of Journalism, reporting for the News Review.