DAR members sew masks for healthcare and essential workers

The Colonel David Hall Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution is lending a helping hand to healthcare personnel and other essential workers on the front lines of the pandemic, ensuring that Sussex County’s residents and facilities have extra protective wear resources to face the COVID-19 pandemic.

The chapter has responded to the medical mask shortage by sewing masks to donate to local essential workers in the most need.

The effort began in early April. An RN working full time in a non-clinical capacity at Beebe Healthcare reached out in a letter, so Chapter Regent Kathy Lindemer and member Margie Tucker began to recruit and organize the effort to meet this need. Sewing guidelines were given to members, and nurses Jennifer Horsley and Patti Haas served as professional consultants.

Members are fully aware these are not N95 protective masks; however, they do provide a barrier and a visual reminder to maintain social distance and to avoid touching the mouth, eyes and nose.

Members began sewing with what they had on hand. Elastic has been difficult to obtain, but most had fabric at home already. Some members decided to purchase new sewing machines. As of April 20, Lewes chapter members had sewn and donated more than 300 masks to Beebe Healthcare, Bayhealth Sussex Campus, Bayview Hospital, Home of the Brave, friends, neighbors and local churches.

When DAR member Anne Scott of Austin, Texas, heard of Beebe’s need, she decided to support the effort. Her parents used to live in Rehoboth Beach, and her father was at Beebe Hospital frequently in 1990s and early 2000s. Both of her parents are now gone, but Beebe professionals’ kindness to them is not forgotten. The chapter is receiving masks mailed from Texas and delivering them to Beebe.

Local chapter members who are sewing include Kristin Jones, Patti Haas, Sandra Eyer, Norma Parks, Linda Meecham, Linda O’Brien, Gloria Lester and Margie Tucker. Friend Jan Birkins is sewing and donating. Member Jennifer Horsley is coordinating pickup and delivery of masks all around the county. Nurse Patti Haas has even come out of retirement to meet the governor’s request for additional personnel in the health field to fill the temporary need, and she continues to sew.

“While we are each doing our part to slow the spread of the virus by staying at home, the DAR members in our chapter wanted to do more to give back to those working hard to keep our community healthy and safe,” said Lindemer. “We know these are tough times for everyone, and we want to do whatever we can to spread a little sunshine and help take care of our community.”

Nationwide, DAR chapters from all 50 states have been participating in the organization’s Service to America From Home initiative with more than 100,000 masks already being donated and tens of thousands more produced every day to be distributed in local communities.

"I am exceptionally proud of what DAR members are accomplishing as part of a proud tradition of service that dates to our 1890 founding,” said DAR President General Denise Doring VanBuren. “In difficult times like these, we know that it is not the emergency that defines us, but how we respond to it.”

For DAR membership inquiries and other questions about the Colonel David Hall Chapter, contact Kathy Lindemer at klindemer@gmail.com. To learn more about DAR, go to www.dar.org.