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April 23, 2020Seamstress Katherine Abbott, a parishioner at Saint Patrick Catholic Church in Anadarko, has been sewing since her mother taught her as a child. So, when COVID-19 hit Oklahoma, she didn’t hesitate to start making personal protection masks for her community and family.
“I’m just trying to help out and do my part,” Abbott said.
She has made 40 masks so far, donating them to her sister-in-law’s granddaughter and a friend of her daughters who work at hospitals. She sent masks to her sister who is a nephrologist in Texas, and she donated several masks to Anadarko Public Schools, where she is the school nurse.
She also gave masks to school employees who were handing out distance learning packets to students.
“If they did not have a mask, I made sure they had a mask,” Abbott said. “I have worked in a hospital, so I understand about infection control. Since people are out there risking themselves, I figured we have to keep them as healthy and safe as possible.”
When Abbot began sewing masks, she used pylon material, trying to make them as close to hospital quality as possible. Although the material was tough on her sewing machine, she did not stop making masks until her material ran out.
She said living in a rural town, her sewing supplies are limited, and the online stores are backed up. She said as long as there is a need for them, she will continue to make and distribute masks to do her part in keeping the community safe.
Jolene Schonchin is a freelance writer for the Sooner Catholic.
