From reiki to masks

Meet Maria. When COVID-19 began to spread in March, she had to leave her volunteer role as a reiki practitioner at the PWA Foundation. Retired, and living independently in a Toronto retirement home, she began looking for a way to continue to give back in some way. 

“I was watching tv and saw that there was a need for fabric masks in the community,” says Maria.” I thought, ‘I can sew, I can help’.

She began making masks, first for family and friends, and then for Michael Garron Hospital. Starting with a batch of 150, then 150 more, Maria estimates she’s now sewed 1,000 masks. Working with mask kits from Fabricland and sheets and old pyjamas provided by friends and family, Maria is happy she’s found another way to give of her time and talents.

“We don’t know when this will end,” she says, “I just feel blessed that I can sew masks so that everyone can have one, especially those who are struggling right now and may not have extra money to buy them.”