Benicians gear up to make masks for local healthcare workers

Editor: We received the following email from Benicians Larnie and Bodil Fox.  They are organizing a strong effort in Benicia to sew medical masks for healthcare workers.  See their video at https://youtu.be/Uyh6iAKqrao. Reach out to them at larniefox at gmail dot com if you can help!  – R.S.

From: Larnie and Bodil Fox
Sent: Saturday, March 28, 2020 2:49 PM
Subject: Urgent need

Benicia Resisters ~

This is a call for help.

Bodil and some friends have started sewing medical masks for health care workers. We are fielding requests for hundreds of masks at this point. Currently we are distributing masks to Kaiser Vallejo, Kaiser Antioch, Oakland Children’s Hospital and Alta Bates Berkeley. We are going the un-official route ~ getting them to nurses that work at these facilities who distribute them to their co-workers. They report that the people who get them are really grateful, and our home-made masks are most definitely being used, and we believe, saving lives.

More are needed.

We are looking for people who can sew, donations of cotton fabric and 1/4 inch elastic, and we would like to hear from anyone who has a need. We have fabric and elastic available for anyone who will turn them into masks.

HERE is a short video we put together to show the mask style we have been using. This design, by Ruby Wallis, is quick and easy to make and fits over an N95 mask which extends its life. We know these masks are not ideal, but they are much better than the nothing that is currently available. Please share.

This is a photo of some nurses at Kaiser Vallejo wearing our masks.

Let us know if you can help.

Stay safe!

Bodil & Larnie
larniefox at gmail dot com