Ann Griffin and The Sewing Army are on the move.
Since we last published the transformation of Ann’s retired sewing machine, she and her Bernina have quickly launched forward and put in many additional hours to further provide masks for students and residents in Arizona.
Ann created a local group called Masks for Schools in Metro Phoenix —facebook.com/groups/masksforschools. So far, the team of seven sewists have made and delivered just under 200 masks for the Kyrene and Tempe School Districts, and for the children of Infinity Hospice employees.
Further branching their donations into north central Arizona, Ann has teamed with a talented sewist in Prescott and partnered with a Cave Creek high school student, Angelique Cort. Angelique is part of the Arizona Mask Project, whose group has delivered over 6,000 masks to students in the north part of the Valley.
Together, Ann and her team are sharing resources and territory to make sure Arizona students are decoratively and safely masked up when reporting back to school.
When boxes of colorful masks were delivered to a Tempe elementary school recently, the principal gushed with appreciation. “What can we do for you?” he asked. “Teach our children,” Ann replied. This is exactly the mission and the reward that encompasses both parties of a community striving to work together for a better good.
Recent local donations of fabric and cash have enabled the team to mask a substantial number of students around the state, yet the snowball effect of continued necessity requires further assistance.
Ideally, Ann would like to see her current team of seven grow to 20 volunteers.
If you have a craving to help provide essential face coverings to Arizona students and would like to administer the team, cut fabric, sew, or deliver masks, please contact Ann Griffin at anngmesa@gmail.com.