ROANOKE, Va. – Now that face masks will soon be mandatory in certain public settings in Virginia, their demand is bound to reach new heights.
Amy Driver is a stay-at-home mom who is making masks free of charge for those in need. She’s made 729 masks since March.
“I went to our local pediatrician’s office and they didn’t have colorful masks so I wanted to make some for the offices so the kids don’t get scared,” Driver said.
One act of kindness led to another and now, Driver finds herself busy.
“Everyone has different abilities and I figure I can sew so I might as well do what I can to help,” Driver said.
There are many others like Driver, who are making masks just to help out. But there are also small businesses like Upcycled Gifts, capitalizing on the demand and selling masks as a primary way to make money during this time.
Joe Stanley is the owner of Upcycled Gifts in Roanoke and he said making masks are what’s keeping his business afloat.
“Things had really started to slow down in March,” Stanley said, “When there was no business, we decided to close the store temporarily. A couple of weeks went on and I realized, I’m not going to make it and I had made the decision to pull the plug and go out of business.”
He’s made over 2,000 masks since April 11, and now that he’s back on his feet, he’s finding ways to help others.
“I source my material locally as well so while I want people to support me as a small business, I try and support other small businesses,” Stanley said.
The CDC says when using a face mask or covering you need to make sure your mouth and nose are fully covered and the covering fits snugly against the sides of your face so there are no gaps.
For more information on how to make your own face covering, you can watch the video they provide here.
If you’d like to get in touch with Amy, you can reach out to her on Facebook.