COVID-19 Pandemic Response
Quilters Took Action!
COVID-19 Masks
COVID-19 Isolation Gowns
(The mask and gown projects have ended)
PVQA Mask Project
PVQA partnered with the South Bay Area Modern Quilt Guild (SBAMQG) to serve our community during the COVID-19 pandemic by making cloth masks for donation to health care workers, essential workers, and vulnerable populations in Santa Cruz County.
Since launching the mask project on March 29th, 2020, PVQA has donated over 12,000 masks to organizations in Santa Cruz County, including:
Santa Cruz County Medical Society
Salud Para La Gente
Hospice of Santa Cruz County
Housing Matters
Senior Network Services
Volunteer Center
Sutter Maternity and Surgical Center
Parents Center
In-Home Supportive Services
Community Action Board
Santa Cruz Allergy/ Sutter Health
Planned Parenthood Mar Monte
Santa Cruz Veterinary General Practice
Encompass Community Services
California Department of Rehabilitation
Santa Cruz Mutual Aid
Family Services Agency of the Central Coast
Native Indian Youth Leadership Project
Pajaro Valley Prevention & Student Assistance
Immigration Task Force of Monterey County
Family and Children’s Services, Santa Cruz County
1,372 masks getting ready for packaging.
We wish to thank Modern Handmade in Scotts Valley for the generous donation of fabric, as well as the many volunteers who have contributed their time, skills and materials to support this project.
Our donated masks were sewn using cotton fabric, and were washable and reusable. We did not provide medical grade masks. We did not sell masks.
Isolation Gown Project
PVQA was asked by the Santa Cruz County Health Department and the County of Santa Cruz Office of Emergency Management to sew Isolation Gowns for them. Phase 1 consisted of making 150 gowns for the Santa Cruz County Health Department. Phase 2 consisted of making 260 gowns for the County of Santa Cruz Office of Emergency Management.
Phase 1
The Santa Cruz County Health Department asked PVQA to sew 150 gowns. Each gown uses about 4 yards of fabric. They are not form fitting garments! The County ordered and paid for the fabric which came to 600 yards of poly/cotton blend. They also found a way to cut the fabric for us using a laser cutter normally used for sign making. PVQA members, Helen Klee and Lori Camner, agreed to organize this new request. More than 35 people signed up to sew the gowns.
They delivered 153 gowns to the County Health Department in June, 2020. Officials from the County Health Department were thrilled.
The gowns were distributed to various medical-related organizations. The photo at right is one of the grateful gown recipients who worked at Cabrillo in the dental hygiene lab. She gave the photo to a PVQA member, saying that she was so very grateful to have this gown.
Click the link below to read the article from The Pajaronian:
Delivery of 260 Isolation Gowns
on August 3rd
Phase 2
Pajaro Valley Quilt Association made the local news on Monday, August 3rd, 2020, after delivering 260 isolation gowns to the County of Santa Cruz Office of Emergency Management. The story was carried by both the Santa Cruz Sentinel and The Pajaronian. In addition we were on the 5:00 News on KION TV! The project was started in July when 1440 Multiversity Conference Center in Scotts Valley donated hundreds of used linens to the County.
David Harnish, from the County asked Helen Klee and Lori Camner if it was possible to sew gowns from this fabric. Ross Newport from Community Printers refurbished equipment in his shop and was able to cut the pattern into the five pieces necessary for each gown. Thirty-four members of our guild and ten people from the community volunteered to sew the pieces together. Helen and Lori made kits using the cut gown pieces, Velcro, ties, and elastic. We asked each person to sew 5 gowns and many people sewed more. Hats off to Pat Goulet who assembled over 20 gowns in this project alone. It was a true community spirited undertaking. The gowns will be distributed to many clinics and medical services agencies. We are proud of the involvement that this guild has been able to represent and accomplish. All part of our Mission Statement, and willingness to help out when asked. Bravo to all involved.
Helen Klee and Lori Camner want to thank all that have been participants in our Isolation Gown project.