Southeast Michigan volunteers make masks from home

(FOX 2) - Local volunteers are hard at work at home to provide needed supplies to keep doctors and nurses safe as they fight COVID-19.

FOX 2 last caught up with Nancy Malone in September after her humanitarian efforts led her to the Bahamas to volunteer after Hurricane Dorian. Now, months later, her humanitarian efforts are at work supporting medical workers in the fight against COVID-19.

Volunteers help from home by making masks, face shields

Volunteers from the Metro Detroit area are working from home to provide much-needed supplies for medical professionals.

Malone started a charitable group to make masks for hospitals from her Canton home last week and volunteers all across the U.S. are answering the call to help. She says they have over 3,000 orders from New York to Nevada to California and of course, right here in Michigan -- two hospitals and eight nursing homes. Many volunteers are from southeast Michigan.

“I needed something to do. I wanted to help and this is great,” said volunteer Nikki Ward.

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“I was a Shipt shopper until last week when I decided it was too risky to keep shopping. Then I found masks, so now I’m spending all my time sewing masks, and I’m also 3D printing face shields,” said volunteer Jean Condron. “So far I've given shields one of the firehouses in Plymouth here, I have Wixom firehouse coming to pick some up today. I just dropped some off for somebody to go to Beaumont in Wayne.”

Jean wants to make more face shields, but materials are running low. In fact, many of these volunteers are not only making these items to donate, they're also buying the materials using their own money. But in order to continue meeting these critical needs, these volunteers need your support. Click here to learn more.

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