Leftover masking materials turned into blankets for homeless people and pets
A Sarnia-area company has found a way to put leftover pandemic materials to community use.
Great Pretenders, a children's dress-up costume manufacturer in Point Edward, Ont., is manufacturing blankets for homeless people and pets.
The idea stems from another switch to help at the start of the pandemic. In mid-2020, Great Pretenders started producing cloth masks.
“We ended up with a lot of people sewing. Probably 30. There were a lot of people in here sewing masks,” said Julie Donald, a product development supervisor.
But after producing over 100,000 masks, the company stopped production as health authorities recommended medical masking — that left them with 20,000 pre-cut pieces of fabric.
Then last month, Donald says a group of employees brainstormed to determine what they could do with the leftover fabric.
“We decided to start making these blankets,” she said.
Using the squares originally cut for the masks, a full-time employee sews the patches together to form a quilt-style blanket.
The employee's time is donated by the company through September. It is hoped at least 150 blankets will be complete by then.
Pauline Scouler is seen using leftover fabric from face masks to make blankets for homeless people and pets, July 11, 2022. (Sean Irvine/CTV News London)“It takes about three hours to complete one quilt,” MacDonald said.
Fellow employee Chelsea Zago has been helping package and deliver the finished blankets.
She has also visited some of the clients of the River City Vineyard shelter in Sarnia. It was there, one man inspired here to keep going.
“He said until you’re in this position, a homeless position, you really don’t understand the gravity of the situation. I think that’s really important, because anyone of us could be in that position,” Zago recalled.
And for that reason, the group will keep working to help those in need — including the animals.
The group is making smaller blankets for homeless pets at the local humane society. They are also selling them for a $10 donation at Dog Eat Dog gifts in Sarnia.
Zago hopes the efforts inspire more companies to ‘sew’ together ways to recycle pandemic, or other types of manufacturing waste.
“Whether you’re in the textile industry or food industry, no matter what, you have waste. So, it’s just taking that extra time and looking at whatever you have and asking, ‘Can this serve someone else?’”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Minister 'outraged' after AFN national chief's headdress taken from Air Canada cabin
The federal minister of Crown-Indigenous relations is calling on Air Canada to 'make things right' with the national chief of the Assembly of First Nations, who said her headdress was removed from an airplane cabin during a flight this week.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
'Violation': CSIS had officer investigated after she reported a superior raped her
A CSIS officer's allegations that she was raped repeatedly by a superior in agency vehicles set off a harassment inquiry, but also triggered an investigation into her that concluded the alleged attacks were a “misuse” of agency vehicles by the woman.
'Too young to have breast cancer': Rates among young Canadian women rising
Breast cancer rates are rising in Canada among women in their 20s, 30s and 40s, according to research by the University of Ottawa (uOttawa).
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
Canada recognizes housing as a human right. Few provinces have followed suit
As more Canadians find themselves struggling to afford or find housing, the country's smallest province is the only one that can point to legislation recognizing housing as a human right.
What to know about avian influenza in dairy cows and the risk to humans
Why is H5N1, or bird flu, a concern, how does it spread, and is there a vaccine? Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about avian influenza.
Pro-plastic lobbyist presence at UN talks is 'troubling,' say advocates
Environmentalist groups are sounding the alarm about a steep increase in the number of pro-plastic lobbyists at the UN pollution talks taking place this week.