NYCFMI ( New York City Face Mask Initiative)

NYCFMI

March 27 2020

Amidst the COVID-19 virus pandemic, a ray of sunshine managed to broke into my anxiety, stress, and negativity. That light was the project of doing face masks for the health workers; form this experience, I can firmly say that when you don’t know what to do and feel like you need some help, the best route is to help others.

From the NYCFTC (New York city fair trade coalition), Nancy Rhodes e Isabel Valera developed the NYCFMI (New York city Face mask Initiative). They organized the logistics to pick up supplies and do the final product drops in various Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens points. Just by starting to sew, I felt better; I was making contact with other creators and making the time fly, but when I got the pictures of the hospital staff wearing the masks, everything fell in to place. The anguish turned in to relief, the stress into easiness, and the negativity into optimism.

The pandemic is not over as I write this entry, but it seems that the storm will dissipate and we will remain after all of this. Thanks to everyone who collaborated and made possible making and donating over 20,000 face masks to doctors, nurses, and patients in the New York City area. I would also like to thank all the volunteers who joined this cause and the fantastic NYCFMI Team Lauren, Sydney, Melanie, and Sarah. 

We sew around 320 face mask thanks to the help of Manaure Peñalver