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Karen Campbell wanted to do what she could to help those on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic, and now she is doing that, stitch by stitch.
Because of the national shortage of masks, Karen decided to sew reusable/washable masks to be given to Kalispel Tribal Members and Tribal employees.
I have been sewing on and off since my mom taught me to sew at age five; I can’t believe she let me use a sewing machine that young, but my sisters and I made all our Barbie doll clothes. In my teens, I was nearly six feet tall, so I had to make all my own clothes.
So far, Karen has finished about 54 masks with a goal of sewing at least 100 more. Each mask takes approximately forty-five minutes to complete.
“Having worked in Special Education for 40 years, I loved making equipment for special needs kids.”
Karen missed being able to help others using her skills, so she jumped at the chance when Fire Chief, Corrie Johnson took her up on her offer to make masks for the COVID-19 pandemic.
The latest batch she completed made its way to the Kalispel Market and is helping protect employees while the Market continues to stay in operation.
“It has been a challenge getting elastic, which is made in China, so I have resorted to using elastic hair bands. This may make for some interesting color combinations!”
