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Masks, gowns, and caps, oh my!

PHOTO PROVIDED -- Staff thanks the ladies of the St. Paul Catholic Church who made masks and gowns for their protection.

The COVID-19 pandemic has made the year 2020 a historical year. Many of you may have been asked how have you managed your family life, what did you do to fill your days, and how did you communicate with neighbors and friends?

During the first week of the shutdown, in March, the ladies of St. Paul Catholic Church were calling each other on the phone and discussing the possibility of doing something for the Traer Community.

The ladies started making and donating cloth face masks. The surrounding hospitals were asking people to make masks because of the suspected shortage. Masks were made and donated to the people, clinics and hospitals in the area.

The COVID-19 virus became worse. Tama County was one of the first counties to have COVID-19 infect nursing homes. We reacted and we received a pattern from Sunrise Nursing home in Traer and started making hospital gowns. We have deliverered hospital gowns to Premier Estates in Toledo, Westbrook Acres in Gladbrook, Sunny Hill in Tama, Sunrise Nursing Center in Traer, Parkwiew Manor in Reinbeck, Sunny Crest Nursing Home in Dysart and Unity Point Clinic in Tama.

We continue to make masks, hospital gowns, and surgical caps for anyone who needs them.

“We truly appreciate that you thought of us and took the time to make them for our staff” the Sunny Crest Nursing Home staff from Dysart said.

As of today, we have made over 1000 masks, 237 hospital gowns and 29 surgical caps. Maryann Kucer, Myrna Dostal, Marvelene Davis, Linda Dvorak, Brenda Hoeg, Karen Podhajsky, Joanne Rickert, Robin Werner, Stacey Vogeler, Julia Babinat, and Margaret Babinat are some of the ladies that sewed and sewed and sewed to fill a great need.

As Americans, as Iowans, and as people from Tama County, we have always strived to support each other and shape a safe and healthy community.