Sherman High School issued the following announcement on Nov. 19.
As students adjust to the requirement of wearing a mask during the school day, a few local quilt makers are creating special face masks for students with love.
The Sherman Quilt Guild’s (SQG) desire to provide handmade masks for Sherman ISD students came about through the intersection of two efforts: members are community-minded and have been responding to needs across the country to provide face-coverings.
“Every quilter has a stash of fabric and has been called into service,” SQG Member Sue Ann Spencer said. “Students don’t want to wear an unattractive or uncomfortable and ill-fitting mask, so our members continue to strive to provide comfortable and appealing masks for students.”
Their mask making began when doctors’ offices and clinics began asking for reusable masks, and then hospitals contacted them when personal protection equipment was difficult to obtain. The demand has since continued, and they’ve provided more than 2,500 masks to SISD.
The SQG has donated over 10,000 masks to the Sherman fire department, Choctaw and Navajo nations, Bonham Veterans Hospital, Joint Reserve Base in Fort Worth, Methodist Hospital in Dallas, and several more.
“What the guild does best is encourage members to stretch their abilities and be involved in the community,” said Spencer. “We have members who are learning to quilt and members who have their work hanging in the Smithsonian. There’s room for everyone.”
The SQG strives to provide comfortable and appealing masks for students, staff, and faculty. Their initial goal was to provide a mask for each faculty member and an emergency stash for each campus for children if they misplace, damage, or forget them at home on a school day.
“My husband and I are deeply committed to the students and staff at the elementary close to our home. We provide tutoring, emergency clothing, books, school supplies, and snacks throughout the year. When the district announced face coverings would be a school requirement, it was natural to add masks to our list, especially since we’d made them for others in six months.”
In addition to the high demand for handmade masks, SQG has been busy still making quilts. In the past month, many have made quilts for the alternative high school in Denison, Family Promise of Grayson County, Grayson County Crisis Center, veterans, and dog beds for pet rescue organizations, and for the time being, all of the SQG meetings are online.
“Our monthly meetings are now online and include a short business meeting, presentation, and time to socialize. We even have a scheduled time to sew together virtually,” Spencer explained.
With the oldest members in their eighties and youngest in elementary, the SQG welcomes anyone interested in fabric arts. The guild was chartered in 1987, and three of the original charter members still attend.
The SQG received monetary donations from both individuals and organizations and are supplied for the moment. With the donations they’ve received, they purchased fabric from local quilt shops supporting small businesses.
If you wish to support their efforts, checks can be mailed to the Sherman Quilt Guild, PO Box 1581, Sherman, TX 75090, a 501(c)3 organization. If you’re interested in joining the guild, their Facebook page is facebook.com/ShermanQuiltGuild.
Original source can be found here.
Source: Sherman High School
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