CORONAVIRUS: STRONGER TOGETHER
Tooele Woman Has Sewn 3,000 Masks, Community Joining In Her Efforts
Apr 8, 2020, 9:21 PM | Updated: Jul 25, 2022, 9:31 am
TOOELE, Utah — A Tooele woman decided to start sewing masks for herself and her family, an effort which has since resulted in her sewing about 3,000 masks, including those she made for her extended family and friends. Several other people in her community have since joined in her efforts.
Traci Sablan said she never meant for her Tooele home to become a production facility for masks. Then again, she never thought the need for homemade cloth masks would be so big.
“It’s been pretty amazing over the past couple of weeks,” she said.
Sablan estimated she has personally made at least 3,000 masks in the past month.
A Tooele woman has made 3000 homemade masks for those who want them. For free. And now an army of people are helping her make even more. We’ll have her story on @KSL5TV at 6. #togetherutah #ksltv pic.twitter.com/07L6Nc9Sly
— Alex Cabrero (@KSL_AlexCabrero) April 8, 2020
When word spread what she and her mother were doing, others wanted to help make them. She now has twelve people sewing, and dozens more gathering materials.
It’s turned into quite the operation, with family helping at her home, and at a second location in Stansbury Park. They make masks and leave them in a bin on her front step. Whoever wants one can pick one up for free.
Lots of people have been stopping by to not only get a mask, but to donate money, supplies, and time to help make more.
“Makes me so proud to live here because these people care about each other. We don’t know any of them,” said Sablan. “But they’re all helping out, and none of this wouldn’t have happened if it wasn’t for them.”
Sablan has also made and donated masks to the Tooele Senior Center to help protect the elderly. Even though she offers them for free, people keep donating money.
She said all the money raised will go into a fund to help people in her community financially who might need help once this is all over.
If you’re interested in contacting her, she set up a Facebook Page called Masks for Tooele.