1. Organizer Packet

We’ve put together some sample templates that might be helpful in jump-starting your new mask sewing group.  You should adapt these to your need. 

You can download (or view on Google Drive):

1. sample members spreadsheet
2.  sample welcome email that will automatically go out to volunteers when they sign up via our website and choose to join your group: you may adapt this to your group’s needs and email it to us
3. sample first contact interview for hospitals
4. sample usage, instruction, and materials inserts to go out with masks
5. sample followup interview for recipients
6. sample Google signup sheet that you can share with your group to make the process of to sign up to donate material, sew, drop off, and drive easier (courtesy of Rebecca Kassay, leader of Suffolk County Creators of COVID19 Medical Supplies)

2. How To Start A Mask Making Group (based what we’ve seen many groups do) 

Using your own friend networks, or through volunteer offers on our Volunteer Signup Form, choose volunteers to take on the following roles:  Co-coordinators (2-3 people), dropoff location hosts (1-3 addresses), Drivers (2-5 people).  Depending on the size of your group, you may also assign people to help you answer emails, to do hospital outreach, or to search out materials.

At each dropoff location, put out 1-3 plastic tubs: ideally, one for raw fabric and elastic, one for cut materials, and one for finished masks.
Choose a hospital to help and make contact with them.  Once you have confirmed the pattern and number of masks selected, you are ready to start a collection!  

You can communicate the pattern and number of masks to your email list of volunteers, getting a commitment to donate fabric, cut out, and sew a certain number of masks by a deadline.  As the masks are completed, your drivers can pick them up from volunteers who cannot leave their homes, or take the completed batch to the hospital. Questions from volunteers can be dealt with via email or social media. Coordinators are responsible for including a wear and care insert with the completed batch, and checking up with the hospital to make sure that they were received and recipients properly trained to wear them.

Finally, as the number of projects you take on increases, you may wish to create a Google spreadsheet to share with your volunteers, informing them of the latest initiative, pattern, dropoff points, and drivers. 

That’s about it!

It’s an amazing thing you’re doing.  

Thank you.