Bill and Jan Eastin are helping Weld County during the COVID-19 pandemic through their mask-making skills, including providing 1,200 masks to UWWC for distribution. The Greeley couple started making masks about the time the “Stay At Home” order for Colorado came through on March 26.
The Eastins said that after reading “The Flu: A Brief History ..” by A A Moaritz, it was clear that masks were going to be very useful and probably life saving during the pandemic.
The first set of masks went to North Range Behavioral Health on April 3, because they advertised their need for homemade masks in the Greeley Tribune and provided an online pattern as well as elastic.
“The pattern provided a space for a filter which very few of our friends used,” the Eastins said. “Over the next two months, we changed to a double-layer, gathered mask which was faster to make and managed to get slightly more than 3,300 masks, for no charge, distributed in the Greeley area.”
No retail stores were open because of the “Stay at Home” order, and the sudden need to have a facemask made finding PPE almost impossible.
The Eastins said that with a small group of seamstresses – Michelle Sanchez, Bev Westerkamp, Barb Gilliam – and the help of several quilters and friends who knew someone with unused material, they found material, T-shirts (to make ties) and thread.
“Our small group decided to make masks for the highest risk groups in our community – the assisted living and nursing home facilities,” the Eastins said. “Also at that time, there were not enough PPE for many of the employees at the hospital. We then made them a priority as well. Every time we thought we would run out of something, someone would come through with whatever was needed.”
Through word of mouth, the Eastins let it be known that the masks were available, double-layer cotton (60-70 percent protective) and free to friends and families of friends. They even sent approximately 100 masks out of state.
“Making the masks kept us busy, hopeful about the future and our community’s defense against this scary infection,” the couple said. “We have seen exhausted nursing staff smile and keep on, keeping on. Regular people able to go out and do the shopping needed to keep going. It has been a true blessing. By June, United Way of Weld County was advertising their request for homemade masks and we added them to our priority for delivery.”
The Eastins said United Way also received their last delivery on Sept. 21.
“Hoping we were done, we packed up the Christmas material,” they said. “But no, we have been making masks again, working to keep people safer. Many thanks to Bonni Cassells, who clipped, turned and ironed 2,000 of these masks.”
By the numbers
1,200 masks to United Way of Weld County
170 masks to North Range Mental Health
200 Masks to The Resource Center (where Jan Eastin volunteers weekly)
400 masks to NCMC
550 masks to friends and relatives
680 masks to assisted living and nursing homes
40 masks to ICCS
80 masks to Room4Hope (where Jan volunteers)
1,200 masks to United Way of Weld County
170 masks to North Range Mental Health
200 Masks to The Resource Center (where Jan Eastin volunteers weekly)
400 masks to NCMC
550 masks to friends and relatives
680 masks to assisted living and nursing homes
40 masks to ICCS
80 masks to Room4Hope (where Jan volunteers)
