Fargo woman makes free face masks for community

Katie Lewis displays the face masks in bags on her parent's fence on 52nd Ave. in Fargo and encourages people to take as many as they need

FARGO, N.D. — When the coronavirus pandemic first began, Katie Lewis knew her sewing skills could come in handy.

In March, she began making face masks for friends, family and even nonprofits.

Once all of their needs were met, Lewis still had a lot of supplies left over and thought of a special way to share them with her community.

“I have all these extra masks and my parents have a fence along a very busy road in Fargo,” said Lewis. “I put them up and they have just been going crazy ever since.”

Lewis hung her masks up in bags and displayed them on her parent’s fence, which is located on 52nd avenue between 25th St. and University Drive in Fargo.

She encouraged people to take as many as they needed at no cost to them.

In no time, they had done just that.

“The first time I put up 60 and I think they were gone in four hours,” said Lewis.

The same thing happened the next two times Lewis put the masks up for the taking.

Included in the bag is a note with tips on how to use and take care of your mask. She says it is important to avoid touching the outside and to wash it in hot water.

Lewis said the homemade gifts are her way of giving back, and that wearing them are the easiest way for others to do the same.

“If they are free and easily accessible to people, they are more likely to wear them and I think wearing a mask in public is the kind thing to do,” explains Lewis. “It shows that you care about your community, about people you know and people you don’t know.”

Lewis has made nearly 800 masks and plans on continuing to do so for the foreseeable future. She says she plans on putting up another batch on her parent’s fence this Sunday.

To donate to Lewis’ efforts for additional thread and elastics, Venmo her at Kates-Lewis.