Committed to the cause

3Cs reports more than 4,000 face masks sold, donated; $16,000 of sales gifted to local food banks

The face mask business has been bustling since COVID-19 first locked down the country.

The ladies of Cancer and Community Charities — the 3Cs — tapped into the need for fabric masks right away. The charitable organization reached a milestone of more than 4,000 masks made, with 2,250 sold and 1,765 donated. The sales so far have brought in $16,000 the 3Cs donated to the Coeur d’Alene, Post Falls and Rathdrum food banks to support those struggling with food insecurity.

“The sewing has slowed way, way down,” project chair and 3Cs president-elect Rhonda Newton said Monday, adding that sales had been flowing in from across the country, including from hot-spot states like California, Florida and Texas.

More than 40 3Cs members, the “Face Mask Bunch,” have spent countless hours sewing these masks to both raise funds for local causes and help those in need of personal protective equipment. 3Cs masks have been donated to places such as Children’s Village, Kootenai Health and the Kootenai County Office of Emergency Management.

One member so far has sewn more than 800 masks, said donation chair Viviana Finney, who has conducted many of the order drops for the Crafty Crew and Twisted Stitchers sewing teams.

“People were so amazingly appreciative,” she said. “We were trying to work with everybody that we knew who could use them and didn’t have ways to get them.”

Finney said personally, she’s expecting production to kick back into high gear, given the increase of COVID cases across the country and in the county.

“We are not out of the woods,” she said. “Because of the way the numbers are going, it’s very likely we’ll have to get going again in real production, especially when you think of when the kids go back to school. That’s just from what I see. I don’t think we’re done.”

Newton said this has been an amazing project to be a part of, “and it is heartwarming to be a part of 3Cs organization and to be able to make a difference in our community.”

“When the pandemic hit, the need for face masks was instant and a bit overwhelming,” she said. “Due to the dedication of our sewists who stepped up when they saw a need, we were able to donate to Kootenai Health and Kootenai County Emergency Management as well as many other medical offices and frontline workers.

“Our fundraiser has helped Kootenai County food banks and those who were most affected by COVID shutdowns and job losses,” Newton said. “We continue to donate and sell masks locally and through our Etsy shop to areas around the country where the coronavirus has spiked. We will continue to make a difference to those in need until the need is no longer there.”

Masks are now $8 each rather than the previous price of $10.

Info: www.etsy.com/shop/CraftyCrew208