TALLAHASSEE, Fl. (WTXL) — The initiative called Masks for Tally was created in partnership with the City of Tallahassee and Shop Tally with Swellcoin being a central hub. The hub connects the efforts and individuals making masks with those seeking masks. It also helps connect people who want to volunteer to organizers.
Barbara Wescott, the founder and CEO of Swellcoin, explained that the mask making efforts started in a program called "Women Wednesdays" which then transformed into something huge because of the need for masks in the community.
"We heard from a lot of different organizations," Wescott said. "So, we started Masks for Tally and that's an opportunity to connect all the different mask making efforts across town, so there's a unified way for people who need masks."
Wescott added whether you are creating masks to sell or give away for free, you are welcome to add yourself to the website: www.masksfortally.com.
Red Eye Coffee, Railroad Square Craft House, Budget Printing, and Frenchtown Heritage Club are the local businesses giving people a way to pick up the masks that others make. The idea called Home to Curb started small but is continually growing because of the need for masks.
Crafting the cloth has become an innovative mission for Ian MacDonald, a Florida State professor. "We laser cut these pieces, and these are cut at the innovation hub at Florida State University," MacDonald explained. "And then we also put together the little components together that we need. The bungee cord that adjusts, and the masks that we developed have a polyester filter inside."
The masks MacDonald is creating are specifically for healthcare workers. The packets, which have the items to create 10 masks, can be built by anyone, professional sewers and amateurs. "The sewers will take the packet of masks and put all of the parts together."
Some of the creators on MasksforTally.com include businesses that are already equipped with supplies. One of those businesses is Rags to Bags.
"We said what can we do for our community? Pivot," said Pam Doffek. "We can make masks. We had fabric, we had access to tshirts. We can make a call, we knew people."
Doffek has sewn for 50 years and knew creating masks for others was something she had to do. "It's a skill that I can give back to my community."
If you'd like to donate money or material to help create masks, just go to MasksforTally.com.
Below are websites and Facebook pages that have instructions on how to make masks:
- Sustainable Tallahassee - https://www.facebook.com/sustainabletallahassee/
- Rags2Bags - https://www.facebook.com/ragstobags/
- LeMoyne Arts - http://www.lemoyne.org/
- Pam Doffek - https://www.facebook.com/pam.doffek
