Supporting our frontline staff during covid-19

A few weeks ago while coming to terms with the implications of Covid 19 for my craft hand-weaving business, a friend, Geraldine Smyth Gorman, contacted me on Instagram. I have known her since our school days. She asked if I would sew some scrubs for the local Covid 19 testing centre at Cloghan, and the Crannog Assessment Centre in Castleblayney. And would I ask some friends to help. This is how I became involved. Geraldine had put together a good team of home stitchers.  With the help of Ginger C’s, a local fabric shop who supplied the initial fabric at cost price and helped with the cutting out of the first batch of scrubs, Geraldine delivered 27 sets to Crannog this week. She will deliver another 13 sets to the Covid Testing Centre in Cloughan very soon.

While we were cutting out the patterns, printed free for us by McArdle Computers & Office Supplies, we got chatting about the additional need for scrubs locally. I told Geraldine about the inspiring Donegal lady, Edel McBride who had set up the #pledgescrubs ‘Go Fund Me’ page, raising money to supply scrubs. Edel teamed up with Moville Clothing who took on with making the scrubs in their factory.

We decided that a lot of the work was done, therefore it did not make sense to stop there, especially when there are such great needs in the community. Through my business contacts we sourced a supply of suitable fabric. The scrubs need to be laundered regularly at high temperatures. Geraldine has a team of voluntary stitchers in place (including ourselves). And with her HSE contacts (she is an Occupational Therapist), we will know quickly where the scrubs are needed.          

Eamon Hackett of Monaghan Athletics Club organised a Virtual Blackwater 10K Race to raise funds for care homes and he donated €500 initially to buy fabric for the first batch of fabric. So, to proceed with our plan, the next thing to work on is raising money to buy more fabric.  I contacted Edel, who I know a long time through business, for advice on setting up a Go Fund Me page, and here we are ….

We need to raise €1000 urgently to buy the fabric at trade price to make scrubs for supply to County Monaghan frontline workers. We have set up a GoFundMe campaign to raise the money. Your support will mean that we will be able to get the scrubs made and delivered quickly to the people in need of them. Please donate what you can, if you can. Geraldine & I will be sincerely grateful for your support, in helping us to support our frontline workers during this crisis. 

Please donate what you can, if you can. Geraldine & I will be sincerely grateful for your backing, in helping us to support our frontline workers during this crisis. 

Many thanks

Geraldine & Liz

#sewscrubsmonaghan

https://www.gofundme.com/f/s2b5z-sewscrubsmonaghan?teamInvite=PrKF8yQ8HwR13Zv2pkL3HGPXcHhGw2XCRvzzYL255XT6IgO7c7hj8kwakjkcW7Pe

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