The United Way Blackhawk Region is asking for the community’s help with sewing face masks for area non-profits.
Board member Jen White is organizing a list of local volunteers to craft the makeshift personal protective equipment to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.
She already has over 100 members who have produced 2,000 masks, which have gone out to service agencies like ECHO, YWCA Rock County, Community Action, senior homes and health care facilities.
White said her team washes the completed masks with unscented detergent before distributing them to organizations in need.
The sewing volunteers are communicating mostly through a private Facebook group called UWBR Facemask Warriors to share different patterns and build a community of volunteers.
The local United Way branch is also partnering with the city of Janesville to help with collecting the masks and spreading the word.
City manager Mark Freitag issued a statement on Monday urging citizens to do their part in the fight against COVID-19 by wearing a mask in all public settings.
White asks interested volunteers to reach out through the United Way’s volunteer website or call the city of Janesville’s Community Support Hotline at 608-373-6027.
