'Something God put into my heart': Waynesboro woman sews over 2,000 face masks
Fabric cutting and a lot of sewing has been keeping one Waynesboro woman very busy as she has been making face masks for those who need them during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Brenda Thorp of Waynesboro has been sewing masks since March 16, and so far she hasn’t slowed down. “It is something God put into my heart, there is no way I envisioned putting out as many as I have, it’s unreal,” Thorp said about the production of masks. “So far I have made over 2,000 masks and shipped them to 23 states.”
To be able to produce that amount of volume, Thorp says she has an “assembly line” system in place.
“I’m able to push out 50 masks a day due to my assembly line approach of doing the steps in bulk,” Thorp said. “Since posting on Facebook that I was making these and donating them, I’ve been getting single requests for masks and bulk requests for up to 300 but most are for orders of about 50 masks.”
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The mask making started when Thorp’s sister, who is a health care provider in the state of California, explained to her the dire need for new masks. “She said that they were only being issued one mask a day unless the one they were wearing became soiled in a way they couldn’t utilize it anymore.”
Thorp took to her sewing machine and quickly constructed a shipment of masks and sent them to her sister. “She was very grateful to receive a fresh batch of masks,” Thorp said. “I have also been sewing a place in the mask where you can insert an air filter for those who want to do so. The amount of people reaching out in need was overwhelming.”
Thorp explained that 10 masks can be produced out of one yard of fabric. “So far I’ve used over 200 yards of fabric from my own collection to make and donate,” she said. “I’ve had people donate fabric to me and everything from quilting gloves to hand lotion to keep things going because my fingers have become quite sore from working non-stop. My husband, Christopher, has been very supportive and helpful in helping to take care of the kids when I am sewing and getting things prepared; he’s been a great help.”
In a recent press conference, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf urged residents to, “stay home unless you absolutely cannot and when you absolutely must leave home, wear a cloth mask.” Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Rachel Levine added, “now just like washing your hands and covering your cough are effective measures, it is important to remember that your mask protects me and my mask protects you against exposure.”
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In conjunction with the announcement, the CDC released information recommending the wearing of cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain, like grocery stores and pharmacies, especially in areas of significant community-based transmission. The CDC also advises the use of simple cloth face coverings to slow the spread of the virus and help people who may have the virus and do not know it from transmitting it to others. “Cloth face coverings fashioned from household items or made at home from common materials at low cost can be used as an additional, voluntary public health measure,” the CDC said.
For Thorp, making the masks has been a labor of love for her community and those across state lines.
“I am able and happy to contribute to the cause, this is my way of saying ‘thank you’ to those on the front lines,” she said. “I do this because God put it in my heart and when he speaks, you listen.”
With labor and materials being donated, Thorp asks that if you request a mask that you be patient and cover the cost of shipping. “There is no shortage of people who need them,” she added.
If you would like to request a mask from Thorp, please email her at brendas.sewcreative@gmail.com.
For more information and recommendations from the CDC on how to stay safe and construct a home-made mask, visit: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/diy-cloth-face-coverings.html.
John Irwin is a Gannett reporter based in Waynesboro.