The city of Sublimity, population 3,000, has taken on an ambitious public health project. After a local nursing home saw an outbreak of 16 positive coronavirus tests, the town is leading an effort to provide every city resident with cloth face masks.
The project, Masks for Neighbors, expects to make 12,000 homemade masks to distribute not just door-to-door in Sublimity, but to surrounding communities in the North Santiam Valley of Marion County.
City Councilor Greg Atkin, a retired firefighter, medic and department of corrections supervisor, is leading the effort.
“We had a small outbreak at a local retirement home,” he said. Numbers released from the Oregon Health Authority show 16 known cases at Marian Estates in Sublimity, and one death.
“It’s always been my worst nightmare that something like that would run through our retirement center," Atkin said. "So we were talking, what can we do to help them?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says having access to washable cloth masks can help slow the rate of infections because wearing a mask can help prevent a sick person from spreading the disease to others. So Atkin put out a call on NextDoor and the city’s Facebook page, asking for help sewing masks.
“Almost immediately, with 10 minutes, we had people saying, ‘I’ve got fabric, I’ll donate it,' ” he said. “I contacted a number of sewers and quilting guilds in our area, and said, ‘If we put a project together would you be willing to help us?’ And of course everybody was overwhelmingly, ‘Yes, we can certainly do that.’”
Atkin received some 400 yards of donated fabric and purchased another 1,300 yards online.
The scope of the project quickly expanded from the community’s elderly residents to everyone in town. About half the residents of Sublimity, Atkin estimated, are senior citizens.
Local businesses have stepped up to help, too: Bernina Stretch and Sew in Keizer is cutting fabric, Santiam Cleanery in Stayton is washing it, and Silver Fall Engraving in Silverton and Cruise Master Engraving in Sublimity are using their laser cutting machines to cut fabric patterns.
“Sublimity has always been that kind of community,” Atkin said. “I’ve lived here for 35 years and I’ve never not been amazed. When there’s someone with a need, the community steps up to fill it. It is that kind of community where there’s that strong volunteer spirit.”
The project launched on April 6, and so far volunteer sewers have completed more than 2,000 masks. Masks have already gone out into the community, with priority given to the town’s frontline workers, retirement homes and residents at a 55-and-older mobile home park. Atkin wants to give workers multiple masks for use throughout the day.
Then, members of the Stayton/Sublimity Community Emergency Response Team will go street by street, door to door – stepping back at least six feet, of course, after knocking – offering cloth masks to households. Police and firefighters also will help with distribution.
Atkin anticipates it will take three more weeks to sew another 10,000 masks.
“I think we’re up to 50 sewers in the community, as far as Keizer all the way up to Lyons and points in between,” he said. “Sublimity, Stayton, Aumsville, Turner. Just a lot of folks who have stepped up and said, ‘We’re home, and we’d love to help you.’”
On Friday, Atkin learned the city received a $5,000 grant from the Marie Lamfrom Charitable Foundation to help cover costs of the project, namely the purchase of fabric.
“It’s definitely a labor of love with neighbors who want to help neighbors keep safe during this virus,” Atkin said. “As long as there’s a need there, we will fill it.”
To get involved, or to request a mask, contact Atkin at greg.atkin@cityofsublimity.org.
-- Samantha Swindler; sswindler@oregonian.com; @editorswindler
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