A worldwide scramble for personal protective equipment (PPE) with the advent of COVID-19 has resulted in ingenuity and creativity for a Powell River agency that provides services to hundreds of people with varying disabilities and seniors.
Lilla Tipton, CEO for inclusion Powell River (iPR) Society, and other directors for the organization, realized a scarcity of masks would affect workers in the organization’s eight group homes, where some of the most vulnerable clients live. In addition, they could be used by outreach staff members.
“We were having trouble getting access to protective equipment and it was being used up really quickly,” said Tipton.
To prevent the spread of the virus, there have been changes to usual duties performed by iPR staff.
“We decided to assign the creation of masks to Jenn Morris because we knew how good she is at making things happen,” added Tipton.
Morris, a community connector, researched a pattern for masks on YouTube, finding a design that would meet the need for iPR workers.
A message was sent through iPR’s internal communications and that message reverberated to staff, their friends and community volunteers. Morris also reached out to people on social media asking for help.
The call-out resulted in a number of people who sew offering to produce the masks as well as donations of material and elastic. In one instance, one of the iPR workers who cannot sew offered to cut out the material using the provided pattern and her mother volunteered to sew them up. Then her son stepped in to help his grandmother sew.
Arlette Raaen, who is also co-president of iPR board of directors, is one of the volunteer sewers.
“I’m grateful to be able to do that and contribute in some way,” said Raaen.
Raaen said she has always loved sewing, finding it a relaxing and enjoyable thing to do.
“I wasn’t sure at first about sewing masks because of the controversy around using them,” she added. “When I received a request from Lilla, I knew it was time to jump in and start because as an organization we were going to need them for our staff.”
Also, she recently received a call from a friend in California who does not sew, asking for some masks and sent a small box off in the mail.
“It looks like in some cities there, you will not be able to go out without one,” said Raaen.
Some 300 masks have been distributed after being made by community volunteers, board members and staff.
“It’s pretty great that it happened so quickly,” said Tipton. “Our staff members are really pleased to have them and they are making them feel safer in doing their jobs.”
Also, it was determined that face shields could be helpful.
Again, a pattern was discovered and the search was on for vinyl sheeting. It turns out that material is sold out everywhere, so an alternative was devised using 8.5 by 11-inch laminating paper. Instead of using the suggested foam for the headpiece, the shields are being made using weather stripping.
Tipton said the organization also ordered hospital gowns and was happy to receive 80 of them.
“Because we don’t typically order gowns, we ordered short-sleeved ones and now they are being altered to make the sleeves longer as required,” she added.
Tipton said with everything the organization is living with these days, “we’re always learning something new.”
As of Monday, April 6, no staff members or clients had the virus, she added.
“They are all healthy,” said Tipton, “and we are following the recommendations of BC’s public health officer.”
