Ridgefield Hero Tackled The Mask Shortage Early In The Crisis

RIDGEFIELD, CT — When times are tough, heroes emerge. We all know someone who's making a difference right now as we live through unprecedented times. Here at Patch, we've launched an initiative to help recognize these everyday heroes.

There are people whose job is to be a first responder — emergency medical technicians, firefighters, police officers — who spend their careers poised to act on a moment's notice. Then there are those heroes who are able to see a need before its starts to bleed, and are blessed with the leadership skills to make a difference early in a crisis.

That describes Maria-Pia Seirup, the associate pastor at Jesse Lee Methodist Church in Ridgefield. She recognized shortly after the coronavirus outbreak the need for masks, and put together a team to make them. In record time, the group produced and distributed over 1,000 masks.

Carolyn Meyers, who nominated Seirup, calls the Jesse Lee leader "compassionate."

>> Do you have a local hero you would like us to know about? Share their story here.