We are all stronger together.
In these uncertain times, it’s encouraging to see small acts of humanity and cooperation bring us closer, bridging the gap caused by social distancing. At Rowe, we consider ourselves a part of many communities across the country, linked together by the retailers and designers that make up our extended Rowe family. Recently we were inspired by the many efforts across the country to make and distribute cloth personal safety masks, and are proud to join this movement and support our family nationwide. The Rowe team is excited to be sending out 1,200 handmade cloth face masks to support the hardworking team aboard the Navy’s USNS Comfort Hospital ship stationed in New York City, as part of our partnership with the Healthcare Mask Collaborative (HMC).
The HMC was founded on March 20th when Stephanie Oddo of Southern California viewed an instructional video from a hospital in Indiana and was inspired to sew face masks for healthcare workers in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. She founded a Facebook group, Healthcare Mask Collaborative, as a way to rally new members to the cause, and in less than a week the Collaborative had grown to 500 members and had delivered over 1000 masks to local healthcare workers. To date, HMC has coordinated almost 19,000 mask deliveries with members donating 1000s more through their own personal contacts. Masks have been distributed to hospitals, home health care, nursing homes, first responders and military. All masks are donated and made with the power of the human spirit to help one another in a time of need. HMC has spread far beyond its initial region of Southern California, and is inspiring similar groups from the West Coast to the East Coast. Rowe is proud to join in this powerful movement, and in the fight for public health and safety. Our first few shipments of handmade cloth masks are on their way, and we are coordinating with HMC to find ways to help even more!
Downloadable Documents
Why Cloth Masks?
- Wearing handmade cloth masks frees up the supply of medical-grade masks for use by our hard-working first responders, caretakers and medical professionals who need them most.
- Masks that are personally made with love by human hands reinforce the idea that we are all in this together, and we will all get through this together.
- Since they are all made from different colors and patterns, they continue to add a sense of fun and individuality to our wardrobes, and a much-needed ray of sunshine in these serious times!
This step is only the beginning of a journey, and it’s one that we will all make together. By creating and distributing these much-needed masks, our goal is to help as many people as possible, as quickly as possible. Want to find out how you can make a difference in your community? Follow the links above for more on the Healthcare Mask Collaborative, as well as information on making your own personal protective masks. Let’s make an impact together!