SUDBURY -- A volunteer in her 80s stepped up to the plate in July and since then, she has made more than 1,000 masks.
Eleanor Lalonde started making masks for the Sudbury Women’s Centre on July 22. She said she spends between nine and 11 hours each day putting them together.
“I’ll start at about seven and if I get up during the night and I can’t sleep, I’ll do some cutting,” said Lalonde. “I cut child squares out, the adult squares I make them 8x8 and you have to have two -- the back and the design on the front -- and I’ll cut out maybe 50 of the fronts and then I cut out the backing and then I sew them together.”
The Sudbury Women’s Centre had a goal of collecting 350 masks from volunteers, which would be handed out to women and their families. After surpassing that goal, the organization decided to provide schools in the area with extra masks.
“We know how kids are, they need to average of two masks per day, so if they get soiled, they have a mask that they can change into,” said Giulia Carpenter, executive director of the Sudbury Women’s Centre. “We know kids -- they have a drink of water and it spills, so we wanted to provide the schools with additional masks in case that they don’t have them and make sure that the spread stays low in our community.”
Lalonde said she sets a goal for herself each day.
“Today, I’m going to cut at least a hundred out, and I always have a goal to reach," she said. "When I’m not making the masks, I’m sitting in my chair making seven- and eight-inch pieces of elastic.”
Lalonde said volunteering keeps her busy and as long as there is a need at the centre, she will continue making masks from the comfort of her own home.
