BELLEAIR, Fla. — Molly DuPont Schaffer smiled as she deflected credit for the amazing work she’s helped oversee since mid-March.
“I can only take credit for the air traffic controller,” she said. “There are a lot of pilots out there.”
Schaffer has been flying high for two weeks, just trying to fill a need.
The Facebook group she’s helped oversee, Masks for Pinellas County Healthcare Providers, originally wanted to get masks to adults on the front lines of the coronavirus outbreak.
"A request came in from (Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital) saying, not that they needed masks at that moment for their nurses and their doctors, but how helpful it would be if the families who had a child in the hospital would be able to mask themselves and their children at home to reduce the spread," Schaffer said. "We jumped at it."
She and others have been frequent posters in the Facebook group. The messages have been encouraging photos, sewing tips and triumphs. Kids are the winners.
“We dropped off over 300 -- our groups combined -- to (Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital) and more are getting down there today,” Schaffer said. “We could not resist the opportunity to help get masks to children.”
In addition to masks for kids and teens, which are noticeably smaller than adult-sized masks, the group has sewn more than 1,500 masks for medical professionals. The masks have been delivered to multiple locations around Pinellas County.
“Hospice, a VA clinic, a fire department,” Schaffer said. “I was dropping off 25 or 30 a night for about a week.”
Morton Plant's emergency room in Clearwater has also been given masks. The Facebook group is planning on sending more to the Sheriff’s Youth Ranch in Safety Harbor.
Schaffer is waiting on an order of 50 more. Supplies have not run low thanks to the “stash” of fabric in homes. Material for the ear loops has been harder to come by.
“Elastic is the new toilet paper,” Schaffer said.
Despite that, this group has been able to provide masks for hundreds of children in their community.
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