ST. LOUIS — Saint Louis Fashion Fund recently donated thousands of masks to a local food pantry.
The organization has been producing masks throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. To date, the organization has produced 14,000 masks for front line workers across the St. Louis area.
Those who have received masks from the organization include hospitals, small patient care facilities, senior centers, veterans, caregivers, city and county police and grocery workers.
The mask initiative is led by designer-in-residence Michael Drummond who recruited 12 out of work seamstresses to join. Each of them “stepped up their cut and sew operations at home to meet the challenge.”
They made 14,000 masks in 45 days and delivered them three days earlier than expected, according to a press release.
“The pandemic, while horrible, has also challenged the fashion and design community to come up with a different way of selling and being relevant. Michael’s initiative was a classic case of a nimble pivot, while also giving back to those in need. It makes sense to continue producing masks in the weeks and months to come and the Fashion Fund is, again, privileged to be part of this project,” said Susan Sherman, co-founder of Saint Louis Fashion Fund.
On Thursday, the organization delivered 2,000 masks to Food Outreach. The masks will be given on a first-come, first-served basis to their clients from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. beginning Friday.
“As the COVID-19 outbreak began in the U.S., the CDC identified clients served by Food Outreach as some of our most vulnerable citizens because of their diagnoses of HIV or cancer and economic disparity. The masks provided by the Saint Louis Fashion Fund, sewn with care in St. Louis, will help to protect our clients and serve as a reminder that our clients matter and are remembered,” said Julie Pole, executive director of Food Outreach.
Food Outreach is located at 3117 Olive in St. Louis.
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