Dresden Woman Spearheads Mask-Making Operation for Protection Against COVID-19

BY DAVID FISHER

david@dresdenenterprise.com

DRESDEN (April 8) — A Dresden woman saw a need to help others and decided to use her talents as a seamstress to make masks to protect emergency personnel and others who must be in the public during the coronavirus pandemic.

Ms. Connie Kirkpatrick, who resides at 116 N. Cedar Street in Dresden, said, “Two weeks ago, Sunday, I received an email from Jo Anne Stafford stating they were going to donate the materials including facing and elastic for people to make the masks. I don’t have a good immune system, so I don’t go out much. Then, I thought that I could jump in on this and do it.”

Ms. Kirkpatrick says she started her mask-sewing operation on Monday, March 23, and is working 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. with a few breaks in between.

“I contacted Martin hospital and asked them if they were in need and they said they were. I told them how I was going to make them and said I thought I could make 12 per day.”

She noted, when some of the ladies in her neighborhood heard what she was doing, they volunteered to help. They assisted by cutting the cloth, and assembling and ironing the masks. Soon, she had a total of five ladies working alongside her.

“The first week we made and donated 100,” Ms. Kirkpatrick said. “Then, we received more calls and contacted more people. We donated 50 to the Dresden Police Department and they came by and picked those up. The next week, we made 400 masks and donated them.”

Ms. Kirkpatrick says her group has donated masks to several different locations, including: Martin Children’s Clinic, Gleason Police Department, Dr. Kofi Nuako’s office, the Weakley County Municipal Electric System, Farmer’s Furniture, a morgue in Chattanooga, some were shipped to Nashville, and others were donated to individuals with weak immune systems.

“We’re working on an order right now for Parker’s Plastics Company, Inc. in Greenfield because they have to stay open. She added Parker’s is going to make a donation to help offset the cost of the masks.

As of Tuesday, April 7, she had another 100 masks ready to ship to where they are needed the most.

“It’s awesome how we have come together,” Ms. Kirkpatrick said. “I never thought it was going to get this big.”

For more information about how to help with this worthwhile project, call Ms. Kirkpatrick at 731-819-0054.

Send donations to:

Connie Kirkpatrick

116 N. Cedar Street, Apt. #3

Dresden, TN 38225

Ms. Connie Kirkpatrick of Dresden initiated a mask-making operation to help protect healthcare workers and others during the coronavirus pandemic.

Ms. Kirkpatrick holds some handmade masks.