Sew Masks 4 Cincy

04/06/2021

Hello incredible sewing team and volunteers,

This is Esther Kang with a final update as I complete the last steps in closing down Sew Masks 4 Cincy! What an incredible journey we have been on together for the last 14 months!

I launched Sew Masks 4 Cincy as a Facebook Group on March 20, 2020 and truly did not expect our humble group to make such an impact together. SM4C was contacted by people all over the nation and the world who needed help and guidance about masks when the pandemic happened and the CDC recommended wearing masks. I will forever be in awe of how the Cincinnati community came together during this pandemic.

The website and our former GSuite emails (info@sewmasks4cincy.org) have been closed down. If you'd like to send an email, please send it to sewmasks4cincy@gmail.com
We had the most amazing final volunteer day on May 15th! So much fun in fact that I forgot to take photos which is very unlike me! We had the most wonderful time with the lead volunteer team who I have learned so much from and I also had four of my voice students join as well. They have continued voice lessons with me throughout this pandemic and it's been quite an adjustment to go from seeing them every week in person to switching to Zoom! I am so grateful for technology to continue working with them even during a pandemic and from 500 miles away, as well as for the COVID vaccine that let us give each giant hugs for the first time since last February!

Leftover fabric donated by Michaels and Standard Textiles was picked up by schools for their art programs, volunteers, and some of it will be shipped to the Philippines to be made into masks where vaccine rollout has been slow, they are are on lockdown again, and are in need of masks. This shows the gravity of how incredible our volunteers are yet again!

Our lead team had our first and last gathering. Can you believe that after working together since March 2020, I met some of our lead team members for the first time in person? I cannot thank our lead team for continuing to run the in-person volunteering in Cincinnati after my family moved to Maryland. The many thousands of masks that have been donated since last October are all thanks to you and our amazing sewing team!

Thank you again for being on this journey with me the past fourteen months. We closed after donating over 45,000 masks to the Greater Cincinnati Region. This is only thanks to you for pouring your heart and soul into the masks.

It has been an honor and a privilege of a lifetime to work with you. I am looking forward to spending a lot of quality time with my family and I hope you all get to do the same! Have a marvelous summer!

With immense gratitude,
Esther Kang
Founder of Sew Masks 4 Cincy
sewmasks4cincy@gmail.com

15/04/2021

Hello incredible sewing team and volunteers,

This is Esther Kang, founder of Sew Masks 4 Cincy. I wanted to thank you again for everything you have done with SM4C. The gravity and scale of what we have achieved together is finally hitting me and I am overwhelmed with gratitude. 50 masks was my goal but together, SM4C has donated nearly 45,000 masks in the last 13 months. None of this would have been possible without your support and guidance. Thank you SEW much!

After a lot of thought and reflection, we have decided it is time to retire Sew Masks 4 Cincy. In January, schools started asking for masks for next school year. Initially, I thought this meant we would continue through the summer into the fall. But upon more reflection and seeing the vaccine rollout speed up, I know it is time to retire our mission.

Seven months ago, my family moved to Maryland half an hour outside of Washington DC. An incredible team of volunteers have continued to run things on-site in Cincinnati while I worked on logistics remotely. I am incredibly grateful to them. Our lead team is small but mighty at SM4C, and we have collectively agreed that it is time to retire after working on our mission since last March.

On May 15th, SM4C will have our final on-site volunteer date. On this date, the remaining fabric will be available for our sewing team to pick up to continue making masks if you would like. If interested, please fill out the https://forms.gle/H1n6ukF2EepiKN2k8 survey. We will close the survey on May 3rd and notify everyone on May 10th with pickup logistics.

Sew Masks 4 Cincy will be accepting mask donations until Saturday, May 1st at our 5 Crossroads donation sites. After this date, if you would like to continue making masks, we recommend that you donate them to your local grocery store or contact your local schools.

I would like to thank Crossroads Church for working alongside us since day one and providing drop-off sites and pods for the last year, Hampton Inn and Suites - Cincinnati Mason for sanitizing many thousands of masks, Michaels, JOANN Fabric and Craft Stores, and Standard Textile for donating fabric to provide free sewing kits, Protective Packaging Services North America for donating filter material and pre-cutting it for our sewing kits, and our other partners who helped SM4C donate fabric masks to so many frontline facilities in the Greater Cincinnati Region.

Most of all, I would like to thank our sewing heroes for tirelessly working and sewing nearly 45,000 masks. Each one of those masks is tied to a person and I hope you can see the impact you have made on Cincinnati and giving a lot of people hope during this pandemic. Thank you for the many hours of cutting, sewing, measuring, and pouring your heart into these masks.

It has been an incredible journey and I am so thankful to have been on it with you! Thank you for helping many people including myself see hope, light, and kindness during this pandemic. Please stay safe and healthy!

Best wishes,

Esther Kang
Founder and Executive Director of Sew Masks 4 Cincy

www.sewmasks4cincy.org

Please complete form below if you would like to pick up fabric on our final volunteer date of May 15th. By completing this form, you agree to pick up fabric in order to produce mask covers to donate to frontline facilities like schools and grocery stores.

06/04/2021

https://www.wvxu.org/post/one-year-and-42k-face-masks-later-volunteer-sewing-brigade-not-slowing-down /0

Thank you WVXU and thank you to our amazing sewing team!

As coronavirus shutdowns and shortages rolled across the country in March 2020, it became clear there weren't enough face masks to help protect frontline

20/03/2021

HAPPY ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY SEW MASKS 4 CINCY!

In 365 days, SM4C has donated over 42,000 masks to over 100 frontline facilities in the Greater Cincinnati Region. This includes hospitals, nursing homes, children services, police, correctional facilities, oncology, the Cincinnati Zoo, homeless services, retirement communities, developmental disability services, schools, and more.

That is over 115 masks every day for a year! These are just the masks that were donated at our Crossroads drop off sites. We’ve heard from many of our sewing heroes that they’ve donated many, many more to their friends, families, neighbors, and community.

Thanks to our incredible sewing heroes and volunteers, SM4C was granted 501(c)3 status on May 20th. In two months, we became a nonprofit organization!

Sewing heroes, this is ALL THANKS TO YOU. Whether you made one mask or thousands (yes, some have sewn thousands of masks), please know that you did not just help protect a frontline worker or student. You also gave us immense hope.

Thanks SEW much for your help, guidance, volunteering, and strength this past year!

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A note from Esther Kang, founder of Sew Masks 4 Cincy:

One year ago, almost to the minute, I created the Sew Masks 4 Cincy’s Facebook group. I remember hoping that maybe 10-12 of us could get together (virtually) to sew 50 masks for our friends that are frontline workers. Then somehow, the number of members exploded as I stared at my computer screen. 500. 1000. 3000. Over 6000. Shocked. Anxious. My head swarmed with thoughts and insecurities. I’m an imposter. I barely even know how to sew! How did this get so big?!

Then suddenly, doors opened left and right. My friends stepped in and were instrumental in helping set up the infrastructure for SM4C, doing graphic design work, volunteering in person, and much more. We were suddenly working with TriHealth to choose mask styles. I sent an email to Crossroads asking for help with one dropoff site. Crossroads went above and beyond working closely alongside us, partnering with us, and providing five dropoff sites and pods at each site to store the masks in. I made new friends that created the website, managed social media, answered many many questions about sewing, made enough sewing kits to last almost a year, volunteered on-site, did legal work, drove sanitized masks to our pickup site, took the time to make new masks styles and templates, and more. JoAnn, Standard Textile,and Michaels donated fabric for hundreds of free sewing kits. Protective Packaging Solutions donated filter material and even pre-cut it for the sewing kits. Gold Star did a huge fundraiser. Hampton Inn and Suites Cincinnati-Mason has sanitized tens of thousands of masks for us since last July.

There are many more stories of incredible generosity and I’m overwhelmed with gratitude from the kindness of the people of Cincinnati. I know I’m not alone in feeling helpless and hopeless at times this past year. I have repeatedly looked at SM4C to see and feel hope.

Last year in the week leading up to starting Sew Masks 4 Cincy, I was feeling so anxious, confused, and sad. Working on SM4C gave me the great gift of hope.

This past week, I have felt anxious, confused, and sad again.

I am a proud Korean American. My family immigrated from Seoul, South Korea to San Diego when I was a child. It was hard. I was constantly othered and reminded that I wasn’t “American”. I was asked if I could see as well as my white classmates since my eyes were so slanted. If I could breathe as well with my flat nose and many other questions. Some ridiculous and some horrible.

While in graduate school at the College Conservatory of Music, I was walking to the gym with a friend through Nippert Stadium when someone screamed a derogatory Asian word at me and threw a rock at my head. The rock was the size of my fist. I reported it to the police. A couple days later, I read what happened to me in the newspaper and that it was labeled a hate crime.

I’ve experienced racism many times in every place I’ve lived. Racism, xenophobia, microaggressions, and prejudice is everywhere. Ironically they do not discriminate.

For the past year, I have learned about rising numbers of hate crimes targeting Asian people, hoping, wishing, praying it would stop and not get worse. Last April, an Asian family was stabbed at a Sam’s Club in Texas because the man thought they were “Chinese and infecting people with the coronavirus” and wanted to kill them.

Asians and Asian Americans are being assaulted verbally, physically, and even murdered for the color of our skin. We are not a virus. I, my family members, and friends have been discriminated against in the past year but fortunately for us, it has only been verbal.

My family has had and continues to have many conversations of being careful when we’re out in public. We didn’t have these conversations pre-COVID. My husband gets nervous every time I leave the house, especially because our young son is frequently with me. He turns two in about two weeks. I frequently think of the two and six year olds that were horrifically stabbed at Sam's Club last year. Many times in the past year, I have been emotionally exhausted and physically tense but especially this past week. I know many Asian and Asian American families feel the same way.

As we continue this fight against COVID-19, I hope that we can come together and fight racism too. If Cincinnati can make over 42,000 masks in one year for our frontline facilities, imagine what we can do to make the world a better place. It won’t be physically tangible like a mask. It’ll be acts of kindness towards each other and people that may not look like you, supporting local Asian American businesses, speaking up when you see or hear something inappropriate or rude, talking to your kids about what to do if a classmate or friend is called the china virus or kung flu or anything mean, and checking in with your Asian and Asian American friends to see how they’re doing.

If you’ve gotten this far, thank you for taking the time to read this. It is absolutely astounding that we’ve donated over 42,000 masks. It’s been an honor and a privilege to work alongside you on this incredible mission. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Esther Kang
Founder and Executive Director of Sew Masks 4 Cincy

www.sewmasks4cincy.org

25/02/2021

Announcing March's Round of Sewing Kits!

Sew Masks 4 Cincy is approaching our ONE year anniversary on March 20th! Thanks to you, we've donated over 40,000 fabric masks to frontline facilities in the Greater Cincinnati Region in less than a year! March 6th will mark our ELEVENTH round of sewing kits! NONE of this would be possible without each and every one of you. Thank you! Thank you!

Last month, we've had 30 requests from Cincinnati Public Schools in light of the school board's decision to start in person classes on February 1st. On February 6th, fifteen Cincinnati Public Schools received over 2,000 masks. We are hoping to fulfill the need for all of the schools that have requested masks.

If you would like to sign up for our March round of sew kits (only adult size available) - to be picked up on Saturday, March 6th between 9:30AM to 10AM at Crossroads Oakley - please fill out the brief survey located here https://forms.gle/Jh3Dw7HiMLyUEnGu8. (This survey will close Tuesday, March 2nd at NOON). The sewing kits will be due back at one of our five Crossroads drop off sites by Saturday, March 20th. The next round of sewing kits will be distributed on April 10th.

Thank you again for everything you have done! At times, this pandemic has been excruciatingly exhausting. We've all missed celebrations this past year but seeing the magic that has happened in this group brings us an immense sense of HOPE. Thank you ❤️

Please complete form below if you would like to participate in this round of sewing kits. By completing this form, you agree to accept a sewing kit in order to produce mask covers to then return to Sew Masks 4 Cincy upon completion for allocation to the schools and facilities on our waitlist.

29/01/2021

We are honored and astounded to announce that since starting Sew Masks 4 Cincy last March, we've donated over 40,000 masks to frontline facilities in the Greater Cincinnati Region.

A HUGE thank you to all of our sewing team, partners including Crossroads, Hampton Inn and Suites - Cincinnati Mason, Michaels Stores, on-site volunteers, and behind-the-scenes team for giving back SEW much to the community!

For more information on how to get involved or to request masks for your frontline facility, please visit www.sewmasks4cincy.org

28/01/2021

Hello amazing sewers!

We hope you had a wonderful holiday and new year! We are SEW grateful for all of you! Thanks to you, we've donated over 40,000 fabric masks to frontline facilities in the Greater Cincinnati Region. February 6th will mark our TENTH round of sewing kits!

We took January off from sewing kits for three reasons. First, we fulfilled the waitlist for the first time since March 20th! This is an astounding achievement thanks to you! Second, we wanted to give our behind the scenes team, sewing team, and on-site volunteers a break over the holidays. Third, our team was mapping out what our next plans were. We have some exciting things coming up!

In the past week, we've had 25 requests from Cincinnati Public Schools in light of the school board's decision to start in person classes on February 1st. On February 6th, fifteen Cincinnati Public Schools will be receiving over 2,000 masks. We are hoping with the sewing kits being picked up on February 6th, we'll have more to give on March 6th.

If you would like to sign up for our February round of sew kits (only adult size available) - to be picked up on Saturday, February 6th between 9:30AM-10AM at Crossroads Oakley - please fill out the brief survey located via the blue button below. (This survey will close Wednesday, February 3rd, at 9am). The sewing kits will be due back at one of our five Crossroads drop off sites by Saturday, February 20th. The next round of sewing kits will be distributed on March 6th.

Thank you again for everything that you do! We're SEW grateful

Please complete form below if you would like to participate in this round of sewing kits. By completing this form, you agree to accept a sewing kit in order to produce mask covers to then return to Sew Masks 4 Cincy upon completion for allocation to the schools and facilities on our waitlist.

09/12/2020

This past Saturday, we had our amazing volunteers on site passing out masks to schools, people dropped off completed masks, and we also had sewing kit pickup!

To date, we’ve donated over 37,500 masks to the Greater Cincinnati Region. Thank you all SEW much for your loving work to help protect frontline workers, one mask at a time!

30/11/2020

Hello amazing sewers!

We hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend! We are SEW grateful for all of you! To date, we've donated over 35,000 fabric masks to frontline facilities in the Greater Cincinnati Region. This Saturday will mark our NINTH round of sewing kits!

We are SEW humbled by this incredible effort of love and care our community has taken on to keep our frontline workers in facilities and schools around our city safe via hand sewn masks created by YOU! THANK YOU!

If you would like to sign up for our December round of sew kits (only adult size available) - to be picked up on Saturday, December 5th between 9:30AM-10AM at Crossroads Oakley - please fill out the brief survey located via the blue button below. (This survey will close Thursday, December 3rd, at 9am). The sewing kits will be due back at one of our five Crossroads drop off sites by Saturday, December 19th. The next 2 rounds of sewing kits will be distributed on January 9th and February 6th.

THANK YOU for your generosity and dedication!!

Please complete form below if you would like to participate in this round of sewing kits. By completing this form, you agree to accept a sewing kit in order to produce mask covers to then return to Sew Masks 4 Cincy upon completion for allocation to the schools and facilities on our waitlist.

30/10/2020

Announcing November's Round of Sewing Kits!

SM4C will be providing free sewing kits to our volunteer sewists to make masks for students, faculty and staff at our local schools and frontline facilities! This sewing kit round will have the option of kid size or adult size!

If interested in making masks for students, faculty and staff at our local schools as well as frontline facilities from our sewing kits, please fill out the Mask Sewing Kit Survey (https://forms.gle/NTWyYVJt4TnKJZhv8). The sewing kits picked up on November 7th will make between 30-40 masks and sewists will have 2 weeks to complete the masks and return to our Crossroads drop off sites by November 21st. (This survey will close Wednesday, November 4th at noon)

For more information on the fitted style template please visit our website https://www.sewmasks4cincy.org/mask-styles-templates

Our waitlist is now open for frontline facilities and schools! To date, we've donated more than 30,000 masks to frontline facilities and schools in the Greater Cincinnati Region thanks to our sewing heroes! Please email frontline@sewmasks4cincy.org for more information or visit our website at www.sewmasks4cincy.org

Thanks SEW much for continuing to support our mission!

Please complete form below if you would like to participate in this round of sewing kits. By completing this form, you agree to accept a sewing kit in order to produce mask covers to then return to Sew Masks 4 Cincy upon completion for allocation to the schools and facilities on our waitlist.

03/10/2020

18 schools and programs that work with children in the Greater Cincinnati Region including Holmes High School & Holmes Middle School, Western Hills University High School, Academy of World Languages, Carson Elementary, Roberts Academy: , and Saturday Hoops picked up 2000 masks today! We’re SEW grateful for our amazing volunteers who work tirelessly behind the scenes making masks, volunteering on site, assemble sewing kits, helping ensure as many faculty, staff, and students are protected! Thank you to every frontline worker and educator out there!

For more information on joining our sewing team or if you’re a school or frontline facility in need of masks please visit our website at www.sewmasks4cincy.org