Mask Makin' Momma: How One Mother is Making a Difference

When Chrissy Merulla ventured into the basement of her late aunt 10 years ago, she was led to pick up an old spool of elastic. Little did she know the impact that one action would have on her community today.

With the ever growing need for medical masks to protect people from COVID-19, one Gloucester Township woman has decided to use her time indoors wisely in hopes of making a small difference in a big world of fear.

Chrissy Merulla, 48, a special education aide at Highland Regional High School and mother of two teenage daughters is using her skills and putting her needle and thread to good use by sewing medical masks in wake of the novel coronavirus pandemic.

“My mom used to make us clothes when we were little,” said Merulla. “I remember helping her with the threading and patterns, and I even had my own little sewing machine that could barely sew, but it got the job done.”

Merulla found herself stuck at home like the rest of the population, wondering how she could make herself useful while staying indoors. “I came across all of this fabric,” she said. “So I looked up some sewing patterns online and found something quick and easy that I could do.”

Coming to the aid of people in their time of need is no new task for Merulla. “I like to help people,” she said. “I was a Girl Scout leader for twelve years, I'm a member of the Chews Landing Fire Department, I was a volunteer EMT and I just like to help people, it's just something I’ve always liked to do.”

“My aunt passed away 10 years ago from breast cancer,” said Merulla. “She had a basement full of supplies and down there was this ginormous spool of elastic. And I remember picking it up going, 'What in the world am I ever going to do with this ginormous spool of elastic?'”

“When this pandemic came around last week I was sitting there thinking what can I do to help?” She said. “I remembered I had this huge thing of elastic and a ton of fabric. It was kind of like a sign from my aunt saying, ‘Do something good with this.’”

“I think it's really cool,” said Taylor Merulla, 17, a high school student and Chrissy’s youngest daughter. “I've seen a lot of people making them, and it's really cool that my mom is one of those people making them for others in need.”

Taylor even got to have her very own custom mask made by her mother. “I got to pick out my own design, it's black with grey flowers on it,” she said. “It’s helpful and I’m very proud.”

“She’s awesome,” Tony Merulla, 61, Voorhees Township public works man and volunteer firefighter said of his crafty wife. “She does everything for everybody,” he said. “She's very kind hearted and she wants to help people.”

After posting about her little quarantine project, Merulla found herself inundated with friends and family asking for their own masks to be made.

“I posted a picture on facebook of me working on the masks and people started asking for them,” she said. “I started to sell them around the neighborhood for $5 so I can purchase more thread and supplies and I’m donating as many as I can.”

Lori Caudle, 41, a Business Analyst at American Water and neighbor of Merulla, purchased custom made masks for her and her entire family so that they can be protected from the virus.

“Our family is very grateful to be able to utilize some of the masks that she made when we need to go out on essential errands,” said Caudle. “Chrissy has always been an extremely kind and thoughtful neighbor and friend. Seeing her step up and give her time to make the masks is inspiring. I admire her for how she always puts others first. This world needs more Chrissy’s!”

For Merulla, it’s not just about making masks. “September 20th of last year at the school I work at, one of my special education students went into cardiac arrest during gym class,” she said. “I did CPR on my student, and they went into a rehab called Weisman Children's Rehabilitation Center and a friend of mine who works there asked for me to make some masks for them. So it's kind of like things have come full circle.”

Merulla has handmade over 300 masks and said she is going to keep making them until she runs out of supplies and has to go get more. She has even been commissioned to make 50 masks for her local fire department and will continue to donate as many as she can.

“The world needs our help now more than ever,” said Merulla. “If I can do something to help then I definitely want to try and do that.”