UVA Health receives thousands of masks and other supplies from artists and volunteers

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WVIR) - Artists and crafters across the Charlottesville area are using their sewing machines to help save lives.

Maureen Oswald, a volunteer coordinator at UVA Health, says she received several phone calls from people who wanted to help in any way possible.

“Local crafters just phoned and said, ‘What can I do to help? I have a sewing machine, what can I do?’” Oswald said.

Oswald said more than 7,000 cloth masks, 2,000 bouffants and 500 ear-protectors have been distributed to the health system, to make sure every worker has what they need.

“Therapists, volunteer coordinators, social workers, housekeeping staff, front door team, information desk team, lab workers…any of our UVA health staff who needed a cloth mask…we were distributing them,” Oswald said.

Peggy Anderson of MERCI at UVA Health, turned her sewing hobby into a full-time operation to help. She transformed her basement space into a workshop, where she makes masks and headgear out of unused surgical wrap and cloth.

As a former seamstress, she’s glad she can help others by doing what she loves.

“You know that movie, “Chariots of Fire,” where he says ‘God made me to run?' Well God made me to sew,” Anderson said.

Supplies from Anderson and other crafters are delivered to UVA Health through socially-distanced porch pick-ups and drop-offs, or though mail, sometimes from thousands of miles away.

“It was about 15 masks that were mailed to us from California. It was a grandma of one of our patients… one of our baby patients who our staff saved…her grandbaby’s life in the NICU, so she wanted to do something, so she made masks for our team,” Oswald said.

Oswald said although UVA Health has enough supplies for now, when students return in the fall to work or volunteer, the need will increase once again.

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