WINGHAM, ONT. -- It started as a nugget of an idea six days ago. But, a Clinton, Ont. woman’s scrub cap creation for her nurse niece, has started an outpouring of cutting, ironing and sewing across Huron County.
Mellissa Erb is the Clinton woman who made the first scrub cap, and is leading the group of 60 to 70 volunteers now making caps, headbands and masks for Huron County’s health care and front-line workers.
“We have well over 20 people sewing, 15 people are washing, drying and ironing the mountain of fabric. We have over 15 people cutting. We have delivery drivers, pick-up people - we have everything we need. I cannot thank the volunteers enough,” says Erb.
Since April 1, the Knotty Girls group has made 190 scrub caps, 145 headbands, as well as some masks. The goal is to reach between 500-600 scrub caps and 200-300 headbands.
They’re all going to be delivered to health care workers and front-line staff in Huron County first.
Erb says she had requests for the products from all over Ontario, the U.S., even the United Kingdom, so leftovers may go to others in need.
“This is our community thank you to all those first responders, and front-line workers who we are going to need in the next few weeks. Rest up, because we need you and we care about you, and that’s what this project says.”
Most of the material has been donated, from Erb herself, fellow knitters, and the Cotton Harvest Quilt Shop in Seaforth.
The volunteer knitters, cutters and sewers have been doing this while not seeing each other at all. Product is dropped on doorsteps, as the assembly line moves from house to house.
Erb plans on having product in the hands of Huron County front-line workers at some point this week.
“I have been living and breathing this since Wednesday. But it has been so rewarding,” she says.
Many health care workers are dealing with sore ears and raw skin from having to wear masks with elastic bands for hours on end.
Helping the ears of health care workers one headband at a time
And Erb isn't the only one trying to help.
Many health care workers are dealing with sore ears and raw skin from having to wear masks with elastic bands for hours on end.
That’s why when Ashley Poore, of Parkhill, was asked by a friend in health care to make her a head band with buttons on the side, she immediately got to work.
Poore used an old headband pattern she had, and added buttons to side close to where a persons ears would be. The purpose of the buttons is to hang the straps of hospital masks to them, to avoid strain on the ears.
The bands have already become such a hit among health care workers that Poore has 75 orders to make.
She says a few other women in Parkhill have offered to help her make the headbands so that she can get as many ready and mailed to health care workers across the country.
If you want to order a headband or donate supplies to make them, you can contact Ashley Poore at ashleypoore15@gmail.com or visit her Facebook page called Ashley’s Crafty Creations.
- With files from CTV's Celine Zadorsky
