SHAVERTOWN, Pa. — Barb Mikielski of Lake Township tells Newswatch 16 that for years, she's spent her free time making quilts for friends, family, and different charity events. So when demand for face masks came along, she knew what she had to do.
"I have enough, it's called SABLE, stash accumulated beyond life expectancy, so this is great to help get this used up and donate it to people who need it too, to help make masks, too," she tells Newswatch 16.
Barb says she's had requests for masks from so many, she's recruited others with sewing skills to help with the demand. She supplies the materials.
"I got a lot of people from the prayer shawl ministry from St. Therese's here in Shavertown, a lot of my friends have helped," she added.
One request came from Councilwoman Leann McDermott to help provide 325 masks to the Luzerne County Prison until PPE supplies could be delivered.
"Many of the other sewists here in the Back Mountain stepped up here and got us through that challenge, and we delivered them, and that was a huge relief that our prison guards have a mask now," explained Barb.
"As of April 18, we had made and donated 575 masks, sent out mask supplies for about 100, sent out elastic for several hundred. As a joke, I totaled up that we used 29 yards of fabric, 29 yards of flannel, and over 200 yards of elastic, which is not a dent in the fabric I have as being a quilter for a long time."
Barb says the demand for donations has gone down, and now she and her team of sewists have started to sell the masks for $5 apiece, with $1 from each mask sold being donated to the Back Mountain Food Pantry.
If you would like to get in touch with Barb for a mask, she says you can connect with her through Facebook by searching Barb Mikielski.
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