Healthiest Ames Community Face Mask Project Seeks Assistance

Press release from the City of Ames:

August 28, 2020

Healthiest Ames continues to seek volunteers and donors to support the ambitious “Face Masks for Ames Students” project. Volunteers sewing face coverings are bringing their finished products to the Ames Community School District offices. In addition to private donors, Mary Greeley, McFarland Clinic and the Story County Foundation are providing financial support for this effort.

At this time, project leaders report the need for additional sewers and additional donors. Masks are needed soon and are requested by Monday, Aug. 31. Details on volunteering are available on the Healthiest Ames website: www.healthiestames.org

To date, project leaders are pleased and grateful for community response, but are seeking additional assistance. “We are delighted so many residents are reaching out to support Ames Community School District students, teachers, and staff in these challenging times. Work being done now will contribute to a healthy environment for all when school resumes,” said Cheryl Langston, Co-Chair for Healthiest Ames.

The initial project goal is to have 5,000 high-quality masks available for all Ames students when face-to-face teaching begins. Once the initial 5,000 face coverings are complete, the secondary goal for the project is to produce an additional 10,000 face coverings. With the help of volunteers and donors, Healthiest Ames hopes to achieve this goal so that students in need can have multiple face masks, and schools can have extra available at the school sites.

Given the large number of masks necessary to achieve project goals, project leaders have developed a new partnership between the Masks for the Frontlines: Iowa's Cutting House and the Healthiest Ames face mask project. Volunteers are cutting thousands of face mask components. Starting this week, all the face covering kits available at district offices will contain prewashed and precut pieces. With these kits, it is estimated the time required to complete a face mask will be cut in half.

Volunteers are assembling "mega kits" for sewers who will make 100 face masks from precut pieces. Sewers who would like a mega kit can sign up on the Healthiest Ames website and organizers will supply them with a mega kit.

In addition to more sewers and additional cutting volunteers, the face mask project is in need of additional financial support. Funds collected for the project will be used to purchase materials and pre-made face masks. Donors can give through the Healthiest Ames website or send donations to Healthiest Ames, PO Box 166, Ames Iowa, 50011.

Healthiest Ames is volunteer group committed to promoting healthy lifestyles in Ames with the goal of making the Ames the healthiest city in Iowa. It was formally founded in 2011 and represents a variety of organizations working to the improve health and wellness of residents. The four focus areas include healthy food choices, community connectedness, health condition awareness, and physical activity.

This press release was produced by the City of Ames. The views expressed here are the author’s own.