You’ve probably seen one of the masks that Masks for Heroes has made–they’ve donated around 5,000 masks to the local community! Walk-Bike Cupertino Boardmember Seema Lindskog leads this active group that has made a great positive difference locally to keep residents healthy during the pandemic.
Masks for Heroes is a group of about 50 local community volunteers who purchase materials, cut, sew, package and deliver very high-quality washable homemade masks with an N99 membrane sewn between two layers of 100% cotton, a nose wire, and full elastic straps. They have donated their masks to a wide variety of medical professionals, community organizations, nursing homes, assisted living centers, homeless shelters, Central Valley farm workers, the VA hospitals, and even the Navajo Nation!
The Cupertino Rotary receiving masks for the homeless from Seema Lindskog (right).
“We live in one of the wealthiest zipcodes in the country and we forget that even here, many people around us are struggling with their income, their health or both. Making high-quality masks just seemed like a vital way we could help the community at a time when so many people are in desperate need.”
Masks for Heroes has made mask wearing a possibility for many of our community members that would not be able to otherwise. Seema Lindskog started this group with Tessa Parish because there was a shortage of masks with high-quality filters to protect those who are most at risk. She spent two weeks calling membrane manufacturers around the country looking for N95 or N99 membrane and finally found a manufacturer in Michigan who would sell them a roll of N99 membrane that could be sewn into masks. They raised funds through a gofundme campaign, purchased all the materials and recruited a team of volunteers. The group has now become a thriving, active, close-knit community.
Staying healthy and active is an important part of a thriving life to all of us at Walk-Bike Cupertino. We applaud Seema’s efforts to keep our community healthy by giving so much of her time and talents to this initiative.
The information in this article is solely the opinion of the author and Walk-Bike Cupertino and does not reflect the opinions of any other organization or entity. For more information, contact WBC at info@walkbikecupertino.org.