By Brendan Rees
An Endeavour Hills charity has stepped up to create homemade masks to protect the community from Covid-19.
Using scrap material and sewing machines, the volunteers at St Paul Apostle Church have so far made 80 reusable masks in just three weeks – which will distributed free to the public.
The group named Justice Peace and Integrity Committee say due to masks selling at “exorbitant prices” in retail stores, they took it upon themselves to make their own from cotton.
Volunteer Hector de Santos said the group initially put in $120 to their project – but thanks to a kind-hearted lady who runs the parish’s quilting group, much of the material was donated.
The volunteers have four sewing machines with eight people helping in total – including some cutting and ironing material to make it easier to sew.
“If it gains popularity we’ll try and get some money from somewhere else wherever we can,” Mr de Santos said.
“We’re all very keen because they all realise how important that little work we’re doing is.”
He said with fears of a second wave of coronavirus and the onset of winter, the volunteers saw it as their duty to do their part and prevent the transmission of viruses and bacteria – “especially now with the return to work and school and all the commuters using public transport”.
Mr de Santos said more people were needed to sew and would graciously accept donations of material off-cuts, preferably natural cotton.
Volunteers dedicate one day a week – usually for three hours making the masks of different shapes and sizes – and expect to have about 150 masks ready within a week, which come in a bag and care instructions.
Mr de Santos said the masks hadn’t been distributed to the public yet as they wanted to have a “little back up stock” – however people were welcome to drop in and collect one.
The volunteers are adhering to safety protocols including sanitising their hands and disinfecting hard surfaces.
