Owensboro Health announced Wednesday evening that a drop-off site for handmade and donated face masks has been made available in the lobby of the Healthpark, located at 1006 Ford Ave. The drop-off site will be open from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday through Friday.
After announcing a nationwide shortage of surgical face masks last week, Owensboro Health Regional Hospital has continued to receive a number of handmade or donated face masks as healthcare workers prepare for the possibility of a surge in COVID-19 hospitalizations.
Old National Bank donated hand-sewn face masks, along with a carload of snacks, to hospital employees Wednesday morning. Jackie Howell, banking center manager for Old National Bank, said she and several others have been hand stitching around 10 masks a night after they get off work.
Howell said many of those who couldn’t sew masks themselves donated material to the cause, while those who could do the sewing, sewed that fabric together.
Old National Bank was asked if they wanted signage from their business included with the donated masks and snacks, but the bank decided against that because, as Howell said, the donation wasn’t a self-serving act.
“We care about our community. We were happy to do it,” she said. “We can’t do a whole lot during this pandemic, but doing this for, not just the front-line workers, but those behind the scenes at Owensboro Health — it makes your heart feel good.”
Kentucky Wesleyan College’s biology department and Owensboro Grain also donated a number of surgical masks to OHRH to aid in protecting those on the front lines fighting COVID-19.
“In-person labs are canceled for the remainder of the semester, so rather than storing for the future, faculty decided to share #PantherPositivity and reinforce #TeamKY #TogetherKY and #TheWesleyanWay,” the college posted via Facebook Wednesday.
Local companies like the Quilting Guild have used a laser engraver and cutter to cut patterns needed for fabric surgical masks to speed up the process, while those at Daviess County Cooperative Extension Nutrition Education have plans to donate handmade masks to OHRH both this week and next week.
Aside from these agencies and businesses, Owensboro Health has seen a large number of hand-sewn and donated masks continue to come in from many residents across Daviess County and the surrounding area.
“We cannot thank you enough for your hard work to keep our team members safe,” Owensboro Health said.
—
Click here for all of our coronavirus coverage.
The Owensboro Health coronavirus hotline is available 24/7 by calling 877-888-6647. Call the hotline before seeking in-person care. More information from OH can be found here.
For the latest information and data on COVID-19 in Kentucky visit kycovid19.ky.gov or dial the Kentucky state hotline at 800-722-5725.
For the latest health guidelines and resources from the CDC, visit their website here.
