Gift Bags for Healthcare Workers

Just delivered 150 3-layered cloth masks, face shields, and bottles of wine to the nurses, doctors, and technicians at Valley Med today. When my daughter asked me to sew masks because she and her co-workers didn’t have the PPE they needed to protect themselves, I started sewing masks during every free moment I had.

I wanted to give her whole staff these cloth masks that have 2 pockets for filters so they know that we – the public, the patients – appreciate that they still go to work every day even when they are immersed in coronavirus without enough masks and shields. Thanks to social media, my friend Michele Roush has joined me in sewing even more masks. My IT has both of his 3D printers making face shields around the clock. My husband Rob thought that we should put a bottle of wine in each gift bag to ease the healthcare workers’ stress (for one night) so we did some research and got an amazing deal on 300 bottles!

We loaded our RV with the gift bags and all of the additional contents. It must have been quite the sight to see us filling gift bags as dozens of healthcare workers got off their shifts this afternoon. Nicole made sure we stayed in the RV – far away from everyone – and reminded us not to touch our faces even though we were wearing masks and gloves.

I didn’t expect the healthcare workers to be so grateful to receive the gift bags. I made the gifts to thank THEM for their service. It was a little gesture to make to make them feel appreciated. But they all came up to the RV door (that was manned by Nicole) to thank us. It’s like thanking someone for a thank-you gift.

I’m back at my sewing machine. New goal is to make 150 more masks and shields. We already have the wine. Until I know that all healthcare professionals have the PPE they need to protect themselves, I’m going to do what I can to lift their spirits and give them masks and shields. Want to join me? Please sew masks and 3D print shields! Have connections at wineries? We can do this! They need us!