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Millbrook Sisters Stepping Up and Making Homemade Masks to Fight Against COVID-19

By Andrew Edwards

Staff Writer, EAN

The Millbrook community is doing its part by stepping up and fighting against the COVID-19 outbreak that has caused major distress in our country for the last several weeks.

Sisters Margie Young and Gwen Gibbons are helping their city by making homemade masks to help slow the spread of the virus.

It’s no secret that masks are in high demand now, and that our state and country have them in limited supply. This was one of the key reasons that the sisters decided to start helping out.

“We know that masks are hard to come by. About a week ago, I got an email from JOANN (Fabric and Craft Store) that showed you how to make a mask. I said to myself, ‘Well, I can do that!” Young said.

The process behind making the masks is not as difficult as it may seem. In fact, Young and Gibbons said they made 20 masks in just a matter of hours.

Many of masks are made of scraps that Young had in her home. The material is made of 100 percent cotton, which means you can wash the masks and then reuse them – as opposed to throwing away a normal medical mask.

“We wanted to make something that would last a long time – something that people didn’t have to buy in bulk. They are extremely comfortable and are one size fits all,” Gibbons said.

The sisters also gave the masks an assortment of designs, some of which had elegant colors or spiritual words of encouragement.

And there’s more where that came from.

Both sisters say they will continue to make these masks as long as they are needed. They plan on donating the masks to the Millbrook Fire Department so they can distribute them to the proper medical first responders.

“We just want to help people in any way possible, especially the first responders. If we don’t have them on the frontlines, then we won’t have the correct personnel to help get us past this pandemic,” Young said.

Gibbons has been a resident of Millbrook for the past 25 years, and Young for the past two years. No matter how long each have been here, the goal has been the same: Make a difference in the community, one mask at a time.