In a time of uncertainty amid a global pandemic, local volunteers are helping to stem the tide by serving those who protect the community.

  Hundreds of area volunteers have pitched in to help create masks as a response to the coronavirus pandemic. The group operates under the moniker of Sewing Masks for Area Hospitals – Henry County, a branch of Sewing Masks for Atlanta Hospitals.

  Belgicia Cowart of McDonough is coordinating the sewing effort in Henry County. Cowart, a stay-at-home mom of four kids, learned about the Atlanta group earlier this year, and joined its Henry County counterpart in late March.

  The group began delivering the masks early this month to area law-enforcement agencies and healthcare facilities, said Cowart.

  “We have a huge demand here, and we’re barely meeting our needs,” she   said. “We’re just trying to keep up, and I’m just trying to get us more recognition.”

  Although Cowart is not a sewing aficionado herself, she wanted to assist in providing masks for those who need them. Her interest in the mask project grew after her husband, Spencer, a local pharmacist, began running low on certain items in the early days of the pandemic.

  Those items, she said, included sanitizer, gloves, and thermometers, leading her to direct her energy in a positive way.

  “For me, I want to be able to help in any way that I can,” said Cowart. “I used to work in the healthcare industry, and I understand how critical these jobs are. Protective equipment is so critical because it protects us and the people that we’re working with.”

  Cowart emphasized that the masks are designed to be used by first-responders, healthcare and public-safety workers. This, she said, is because such individuals have a higher risk of coming into direct contact with people who have the virus.

  “If you’re going to the grocery store, then that means you’ve been in contact with other people,” said Cowart. “You need to protect yourself if you’re out shopping. We don’t need to give masks to people who are just home with their kids and their kids aren’t going anywhere.”

  Cowart said while her group is based in Henry County, their reach extends much further than that.

  “I’m covering more than Henry County,” said Cowart. “[Last week], I was in Jackson, Covington, Conyers, Stockbridge, and Henry County picking up supplies. We’ve even taken masks to Macon. We have requests for about 3,000 masks to date. We’ve filled a great many of those. We have about 350 people on our [Facebook] page right now.”

  Cowart’s team of volunteers includes approximately 40 people who sew the masks together, as well as five others who make sewing kits. She said more volunteers of both types are needed, as well as people who can take the masks to those who need them.

  “When we deliver the masks, the policy is that there is zero contact,” said Cowart.

  Carol Conway of Locust Grove is among the volunteers in the Henry County masks endeavor. She said participation in the group has grown rapidly since its inception last month, enabling them to provide masks for local hospitals as well as the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta.

  “Within the first five days, we had almost 500 volunteers,” said Conway. “We are just under four weeks in the Atlanta group, and 15,000 masks have been delivered to Atlanta hospitals so far, as well as the CDC. It is absolutely incredible.”

  The mask patterns, said Conway, are works of art created by Piedmont Henry Hospital, Emory University Hospital and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. Like Cowart, Conway is hopeful that more area residents will lend their talents to make the masks available.

  “I would love to see 20 more people sewing and maybe 15 putting together pre-cut pattern kits for the masks,” said Conway. “We’re trying to reach out to churches that have sewing groups. Not all of them are on Facebook. I’m also trying to get in touch with people for cutting materials or whatever they can do just to keep their minds busy.”

  Dr. Lily Henson is the chief executive officer at Piedmont Henry. She expressed her appreciation for the volunteers who have stepped up as part of the masks project.

  “We have been touched and inspired by the incredible outpouring of support from the community, particularly when it comes to the creation and donation of homemade masks,” said Henson. “These masks have been used by patients upon admission to the emergency department and have gone to staff members as well. It means a lot to us that the community recognizes the importance of keeping everyone safe during this challenging time. We are very grateful for their consideration and concern.”

  For more information, visit https://smahhenry.org.