Summit Sewing Squad Makes Masks For Navajo In Arizona

SUMMIT, NJ — The Summit Area Sewing Squad (SASS), together with other sewing partners, set a goal of making 10,000 masks for local healthcare workers. In early May they exceeded their goal and are closing in on making 11,000 masks.

As they felt other area sewing groups were also meeting local needs, SASS began shifting its focus to sending masks to the Navajo nation in Arizona. Now, they're looking for more help.

SASS has decided to redirect its efforts to making masks for the Tuba City Regional Healthcare Corporation in Arizona.

“The Navajo have one of the highest infection rates in the world,” said Vicki Lederman, SASS’s founder. “The Navajo, Hopi and Sioux peoples, already living without sufficient medical resources, are being especially devastated by the virus. Even washing your hands isn’t so simple when you don’t have running water, as many tribal areas don’t. There are even fears the virus could literally wipe out the Navajo nation.”

The day after the group decided to refocus, the Washington Post published an article about how hard hit the Navajo have been and the lack of federal aid. “We are aiming to send a shipment by Memorial Day of as many masks as possible, and another one when we again have enough volume,” Lederman said. “And SASS has room for many more sewers! The Squad can furnish all the supplies, sewers just need a machine, though we also have some we can lend.” Interested sewers can send a message through the SASS FaceBook page.

Lederman talked about what the group had already done, and where they had sent protective gear.

“My original goal in contacting Patch in March was to find a few sewers in the Summit area who wanted to coordinate their mask-making efforts,” Lederman said. “I had no idea nearly 90 people would respond! Since forming SASS we have coordinated mask distribution with other local sewing groups including the Fabric Mask Assembly line NJ, Adams Fine Clothing, UrbanAmish and the Garden State Quilter Club. A team from Medtronic has taken our masks directly into the hospitals with the most critical need. "

She added, "We’ve been fortunate to be able to deliver masks directly to front line healthcare workers in more than 50 tri-state hospitals, as well as to the NY Police and fire departments, and the Summit, Berkeley Heights, and New Providence police departments. SASS has also purchased and donated 1,200 locally made plastic face shields and distributed 5,000 surgical masks donated by Blinds To Go, as well as other products.”

The New Providence Lions Club has agreed to host the Squad’s fundraising efforts. Thanks to a donation of cotton sheets from The Company Store, SASS has enough fabric, but still needs to buy other supplies and to cover shipping costs to Tuba City.

Online donations can be made at: https://www.nplions.org/members/donation_sass.php To send a check, make it payable to the New Providence Lions Club, with “SASS” in the memo line. Checks may be mailed to the New Providence Lions Club, PO Box 854, New Providence, NJ 07974.

“Everyone at SASS thanks you for your contributions to help keep our frontline healthcare workers safe," Lederman said. "We hope you will continue to support us as we now try to help the Navajo nation.”

On Tuesday, Gov. Phil Murphy announced 1,055 news cases and 162 more deaths in the last 24 hours due to coronavirus. The total cases in New Jersey are now 149,013, and 10,586 people have died. Read more: NJ Coronavirus Updates: Here's What You Need To Know

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