WellSpan Health and Mennonite Disaster Services (MDS) recently announced that they are joining the 100 Million Mask Challenge, an initiative launched by the American Hospital Association to help meet the growing demand for masks during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 100 Million Mask Challenge is a nationwide effort calling on manufacturers, the business community and individuals across the country to coordinate efforts to rapidly produce needed personal protective equipment on a large scale for the nation's health care heroes. The current supply of masks in some parts of the country has not been able to keep up with the demand.
WellSpan is providing the funding for material for this new initiative to make an additional 50,000 masks, and volunteers from MDS, with assistance from Good's Stores, are packaging the kits of pre-cut material to be used. Each kit has enough material and instructions for sewing 50 masks.
WellSpan has opened sites across southcentral Pennsylvania where community members may pick up kits and donate masks. Readers may obtain kits and donate masks on Mondays through Fridays at the following locations: 601 Memory Lane, York, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; 501 Alexander Drive, Ephrata, from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and 717 S. Eighth St., Lebanon, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Pickups and donations will also be available at 660 Orchard Drive, Chambersburg, from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.; 450 S. Washington St., Gettysburg, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; and WellSpan Health and Surgery Center, 1227 Baltimore St., Hanover; from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Sewers who use the provided kits are asked to return the completed masks to the same donation site where they obtained the kits. There is no need to call ahead or reserve a kit.
To make or donate masks, readers may visit http://www.WellSpan.org/COVID19Help to download the approved pattern or call the coronavirus information hotline at 855-851-3641 and select option 4. For more information on the 100 Million Mask Challenge, readers may visit http://www.100millionmasks.org.
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