Community Corner
Job Lot Offers Customers Free Fabric For Masks: Coronavirus
Customers can pick up cloth napkins or tablecloths, free of charge, to be sewn into face coverings.
A Rhode Island-based discount retailer is helping residents get access to supplies for homemade face coverings. Ocean State Job Lot announced that it would be providing displays of fabric, free of charge, to customers for use in homemade face masks.
Both the Rhode Island Department of Health and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that people wear fabric face coverings when out in public. This could be a home-sewn fabric mask, bandanna, t-shirt or any other improvised covering. Surgical masks and N95 respirators should be reserved for health care workers.
The "Mask Fabirc For Free" campaign will be launched in all Job Lot stores, which span New England, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania, providing material for approximately two million masks, the company said. Customers can pick up cotton-poly blend fabric from displays, either in the form of cloth napkins, or for those making a lot of masks, tablecloths, limit five units per person. Organizations that are capable of making masks on a larger scale can reach out to hteir local store to coordinate a bulk pickup.
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"During this critically-important time, it’s our responsibility as community partners to think outside of the box and provide as much assistance as we can," said Paul Conforti, Job Lot's chief marketing officer. "While we’ve been focused on sourcing critical supplies and medical grade masks for healthcare professionals and first responders battling COVID-19, our ‘Mask Fabric For Free’ campaign specifically focuses on the needs of everyday people who are looking for responsible ways to protect themselves and others."
The company is also using its global supply chain network to source much-needed personal protective equipment for front line workers. Last week, the Ocean State Job Lot Charitable Foundation donated supplies such as hand sanitizer, masks, gloves cleaning supplies and more to organizations including Rhode Island Hospital, Bradley Hospital, RI Free Clinic, Boston Medical Center, the State of Rhode Island and fire and police departments.
Find out what's happening in Cranstonfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
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