How To Make Masks In OC To Prevent Coronavirus Spread

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, CA — Orange County Health Officer Dr. Nichole Quick discouraged residents from seeking out surgical masks or N95 masks, which are in short supply and badly needed by healthcare workers.

Instead, Quick recommended any sort of face covering, including scarves and bandannas, because they can be effective in cutting down the spread of the virus, though people should still stay at home and practice social distancing.

Meanwhile, residents are in a quandary of where to go to get them, or do you just make them yourself? As for this Patch editor, I broke out the sewing machine over the weekend and made a few for the family.

This is the downloadable pattern we used to make our masks.

Do you want to make masks and donate them to a good cause? Orange County Rescue Mission needs more masks, Patch was told.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, while many businesses and organizations are temporarily closed, Orange County Rescue Mission’s campuses remain 100 percent operational to serve those under their care. The Rescue Mission has identified an urgent need for face masks to support the men, women and children currently residing at Village of Hope.

The Rescue Mission has set a goal of collecting 250 face masks by Friday, April 10. These masks can be assembled in about 15 minutes with items that you likely already have at home.

All You Need Is…

Basics

• Thread and sewing machine
• Scissors
• Small clips of any kind

Mask

• One (1) 8x14 inch piece of cotton fabric (consider tightly-woven cotton fabric - pattern and color of your choice!)
• Two (2) 1.5x34 inch fabric strips

No fabric at home? There is plenty available at your local Walmart and JOANN stores.

Here’s a How-To Video!

Ready to Donate? Orange County Rescue Mission’s warehouse, located at 1 Hope Drive in Tustin, is open every day from 8am-5pm and ready to receive your homemade mask(s). Contact Nancy Palmer at nancy.palmer@rescuemission.org or 714-247-4303 with any questions.

Remember, your contributions can help flatten the curve and will help keep the employees and residents of Village of Hope safe and healthy.

For the rest of us, make masks to wear, for yourself and your family.

California remains under a stay-at-home order with exceptions for essential services, although hundreds of people turned out Saturday at Huntington Beach's Dog Beach, where police officers were on hand to order visitors to stay at least six feet apart.

Are you making and wearing masks?

Have you donated masks to your local hospital or emergency responders? let Patch know!

Email your editor at ashley.ludwig@patch.com and we will add your pictures or stories to this post.

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