Help your clinic. Donate masks.

Want to help support front line healthcare workers in your community during the COVID-19 outbreak? Neighborhood HealthSource is now accepting donations of homemade masks for our clinic staff and for our patients. Donations can be brought to Central Clinic during open clinic hours, where a staff member will assist you.

There is currently a high need for child-sized mask. If you are planning on donating, please consider including some masks that fit children.

Please keep the following in mind when making homemade masks, both for yourself and to donate to healthcare workers. Homemade masks/face coverings SHOULD:

• Fit snugly (but comfortably) against your face and be secured with ties or elastic.
• Be made of multiple layers of fabric.
• Allow the wearer to breath easily while wearing.
• Be machine washable/dryable without change to fit.

Important reminder from the Centers for Disease Control guidelines on face coverings:

• Surgical mask and N-95 respirators are critical supplies and should be reserved for medical workers. Please do not buy these for personal use.

• “Cloth face coverings should not be placed on young children under age 2, anyone who has trouble breathing, or is unconscious, incapacitated or otherwise unable to remove the mask without assistance.”

Making your own cloth masks/face coverings

The CDC provides simple written instructions for how to make masks both with and without sewing. For masks you are going to donate, please stick to sewn varieties.

Many fabric and craft stores, such as JoAnn Fabrics, have mask making video tutorials on their websites. Always remember to follow CDC guidelines when using these tutorials to make masks, both for yourself and for donation to healthcare workers.

Thank you for supporting Neighborhood HealthSource and our staff and providers during this challenging time! For full details on our ongoing response to the coronavirus outbreak, visit our COVID-19 Patient Resources page.