The Health Professional Committee of the National Muslim Taskforce on Covid-19 has initiated the National Muslim Mask-Making Campaign in an effort to centralize resources, coordinate efforts between communities and provide a platform for those interested in volunteering to connect with or start local groups.
Across the nation, health care workers are facing dire shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE) including hospital gowns, gloves, and especially face masks. Given the overall crisis, volunteers of all faiths and nationalities have mobilized across the country to determine local needs and see how they can make a contribution. Many are working together to sew face masks and provide healthcare professionals, front line staff working at social service agencies, homeless shelters, police officers, fire fighters, and many others with homemade masks.
On April 15, 2020, the CDC came out with new guidelines, recommending all people to wear face coverings when in public settings, especially if they are unable to maintain a safe social distance, making the urgent need for face masks is even greater.
At the Islamic Center of Greater Cincinnati, the community services team of Rahma developed an operational workflow compatible with social distancing to execute their Medical Mask Initiative, which includes material allocation, video sewing instructions, and coordinated pick up & drop off. Over 40 volunteers participated in this initiative and distributed 400 handmade masks to four local hospital systems. In the DMV area, Justice for All conducted a webinar outlining the process for starting such an initiative including an online form for hospitals and other facilities to request their specific type of mask and quantity required. Threads of Resistance organized similar efforts in Northern California and Michigan to sew masks for their local communities.
In a time when we are all working together to flatten the curve of this global pandemic, this effort has allowed American Muslims to make a difference in uplifting lives through service, both at a local and national level.