Midland Center for the Arts Costume Team of Volunteers Work Together to Protect Healthcare Workers & Patients

As the State of Michigan continues to see a rise in cases of COVID-19, hospitals are seeing an exponential growth in visitors to be tested for the virus, treated for other health emergencies, and receive necessary treatments for ongoing health conditions. The demand for medical supplies is increasing while the ability to access these necessary tools is dwindling.

Seamstresses all around the country are now stepping forward to fulfill the need for facemasks to protect healthcare practitioners on the frontline of this pandemic. The Costume Goddesses at Midland Center for the Arts, a volunteer group of costume designers with decades of volunteerism experience for Center Stage Theatre, are working day and night to build as many CDC approved facemasks to support local health systems. What started as a group of 7 volunteer seamstresses, is seeking additional volunteers in the community to fulfill the growing need.

“The idea for this group to lend their expertise in sewing and construction began last week,” said Dexter Brigham, Director of Theatre Programs. “The Center is thrilled to be supporting the volunteers with access to supplies from our costume shop to create the masks, and coordinating the pick-up and delivery of these masks to get them in the hands of healthcare professionals.”

The group is able to collectively create more than 100 masks per day, and will continue to build the masks through this critical time. The masks are designed to protect healthcare workers and non-clinical or worried well patients not related to COVID-19, allowing hospital systems to save N95 masks and other personal protective equipment for workers assisting COVID-19 patients. This effort is another step the Center is taking to continue to fulfill its mission and provide support to the community with its expertise during these unprecedented times.

For more information about donating supplies, contributing to the construction of homemade facemasks, or acquiring facemasks for your healthcare practices, please contact Dexter Brigham at Brigham@midlandcenter.org. The Center will continue to tally the number of masks created to support these efforts on their website, alongside the virtual community #MakeArtVirtual. Although this team of volunteers are working collectively, they are working virtually to remain in isolation throughout the construction of these masks.