Seamstresses team up to donate over 25,000 masks to those in need amid the COVID-19 crisis

News Image

BATON ROUGE- A pair of seamstresses in the Capitol Area are stitching together a plan to protect first responders, the elderly, and the immunocompromised from COVID-19.

Christine Guidry Law and Aimee Broussard are local captains of a nationwide movement called 'Sew You Care.'

The Baton Rouge chapter has sewn up over 600 within one week.

"To be in this much demand because you can operate a sewing machine is bittersweet because you're grateful for the opportunity to give back, but at the same time it's heartbreaking because of the amount of masks you're being asked to produce," Broussard said.

After the masks are sewn, volunteers, 'Mask Movers,' deliver the masks to hospitals, first responders, and at-risk families without having any contact with those receiving them. 

"Each seamstress has a basket at her front door across the community. So, when our mask movers are picking up, they are protecting those seamstresses as well because they don't enter their homes and they don't open the door," Law said.

For both Aimee and Christine, the call to serve is personal. 

Their masks have protected their families and friends who are high risk and health care providers. 

They say this movement is both a mission and an answer to an overwhelming crisis across the globe. 

"It's about those people fighting on the front lines every day, and helping to protect their lives and protect the lives of the people they're taking care of," Law said.

National founder Jessy Gillespie says, "The Sew You Care movement is just that; a movement. It is people hearing the call for help and banning together. It is an idea, a mission, and an answer to the crisis that is going on. It's so easy to feel overwhelmed and disconnected. That's why this is so important. Not only is it saving lives one mask at a time, it's once again proving what the American spirit is. What the Louisiana spirit is. During unprecedented times we come up with unprecedented answers. Home seamstresses answering the call to help our medical professionals fight this virus as safely as possible is an unprecedented answer in an unprecedented time."

The national 'Sew You Care' movement has donated over 25,000 masks nationwide to healthcare workers and those in need.

To donate or volunteer contact: Christineglaw@gmail.com or Aimee@aimeebroussard.com