The Impact of an Everyday Skill
At the wake of COVID-19, protective face masks were nearly impossible to come by. Stores sold out as soon as they restocked, and families resorted to crafting their own masks out of old clothes, sheets or extra fabric. This shortage of face masks sparked our friend and church member, Louise Lewis, to create masks for others in exchange in donations to the food pantry.
It was no secret to Louise’s neighbors that she could sew well. As the requirement to wear personal protective gear in public spaces grew, they asked her to make a few masks for their families. Word spread to other neighbors, and eventually Facebook, leading to $600 raised in just 3 days. Carefully crafted by hand, she selflessly decided the money earned from the masks would benefit the food pantry more than herself. Louise placed these masks outside her home, trusting people would leave their donations in a bucket. Her ultimate goal was to have people wearing masks to minimize the spread of COVID-19.
The demand for her face masks grew so high that Louise decided to recruit her sister to make the masks as well. Together they made masks in four different sizes, with custom patterns out of available fabric. A drawer unit took the place of the bucket as more masks became available. As the project continued, challenges arose. The supply of fabric at craft stores was dwindling while the need persisted. Crafting a high number of masks between only two people was overwhelming. However, Louise chose to overcome these difficulties and continue providing to the community as best as she could.
An everyday skill one day to a critical skill that could save a life the next, Louise would have never thought her ability to sew could impact so many people’s lives. Louise now gives the advice to others that when an idea forms, jump right in and do it. “You never know unless you try,” she says motivationally. Her message is clear and resonates with all of us-- having doubts and fear in the way will only hold you back from achieving success. Louise didn’t worry about her sewing skills being good enough or if people would appreciate her masks, she put her faith into action and trusted in God that her efforts would pay off.
As the virus rages on, the need for masks continues. One way you could help Louise’s project is to donate masks and fabric or contribute with the ability to sew. She now creates kits containing the materials needed to sew masks for those who would like to help (she can be reached by email: lmlewis226@gmail.com).
Something we can all learn from Louise’s story is when we can set aside our doubts and trust in God, he will lead the way. Step by step, you too can put your own faith into action.
This Abiding Story was written by Savannah Klassen, one of our Abiding Presence Interns (Summer 2020).