Canyon Lake crafters pitch in to sew masks

BY Kelly Lopez

Dozens of Canyon Lake women have taken upon themselves to donate masks they have sewn to medical professionals and others in need. Those pictured above are just one style of the hundreds of masks being sewn in Canyon Lake.

Canyon Lakers are responding with great compassion and resourcefulness to the crisis COVID-19 has caused for the city and nation. Many women throughout Canyon Lake have taken it upon themselves to sew face masks for medical professionals and individuals who have impaired health. Others are being resources for many in the lake who need toilet paper, dog food, hand sanitizer and children’s educational materials.

Kathy Blakemore is one long-time Canyon Lake resident who has taken it upon herself to sew many masks for local nurses. She sews between 10 and 12 every day from materials that she has at her home.

Kathy began looking for patterns and sewing her first masks last Friday. As news sources bagan to report that there was an inadequate supply of surgical masks and other personal protective equipment, Kathy reached out to some friends in the medical community and realized that she could help healthcare workers.

“Then I began posting in our community pages and connecting with other residents who began sewing and sharing the best patterns,” Kathy said. The pattern she uses makes a mask that is intended to fit over surgical masks.

Canyon Lake resident Alisha Carlin is a sewing blogger and is using her skills to sew masks for Loma Linda doctors and nurses. The masks are delivered to all of the Loma Linda Hospital locations.

“Many Canyon Lakers donated to me so I could buy materials,” Alisha said. “So it really is a labor of love.” Alisha has been sewing only since Sunday, but her goal is to make a total of 120 masks.

Shari Sacks Gonzales is another mask sewer in the lake. She sews the masks and gives them to nurses and people who still go to work or have to go to doctor’s appointments.

She said she gets up early every morning to sew the masks. She often sews 25 in one day and said that each mask takes about a half hour to sew.

Mickey France walks behind her husband, Daryl Hogue France, as he drives their golf cart around Canyon Lake picking up litter. They did so as a way to assist the community during the lock down caused by the COVID-19 virus.

She is an avid sewer and said she accumulates a lot of fabric scraps. When she posted online locally to ask if anyone was in need, she said the amount of people who responded was more than she expected. Kathleen Ahles is helping Shari to keep track of all the orders she receives. Her help has allowed Shari to concentrate on sewing. “When Kathleen started helping, I could complete 25 masks in one day instead of just 10,” Shari said.

Janice Johnson is also handy at sewing, but instead of sewing, she has been called upon to gather materials and supplies. Janice picked up two big bags of donated fabric from her sewing group on Monday and was looking forward to receiving a donated shipment of elastic band from Utah on Tuesday.

Angela Douglas and her daughter Jade Judith Douglas have organized three teams of mom and daughter pairs to help with sewing. Each mom and daughter pair has been set up with a table and supplies, as well the pattern for the masks.

The daughters cut the material to fit the pattern and the moms do the sewing. Chrissy and Kaya Glenney, Liddy and Aspen Walker and Mindi and Kennedy Mobley all work together to make masks to help others. Grace Hudson is helping to get supplies and donations for this “socially isolated” group of sewers.

Others who are sewing masks in Canyon Lake are Terri Owen Ireland, Janna Johnston Witten and Louise Boekenheide Nielsen. Louise has even posted online a detailed video of how a mask can be made.

Sewing masks is not the only way Canyon Lake residents have been helping out this past week. Frank Pflugradt is taking orders for paper products, hand sanitizer and dog food, as well as a few other select items. Frank owns a school and office supply company under FHP Corporation. He normally sells throughout California and to local schools, but he has decided to sell to his community during this trying time. He is currently reaching out to the community by way of Facebook.

Teachers Coletta Reyes and Linda Shurtleff have offered their resources or services to help students who won’t be going back to school anytime soon. Coletta has offered to make copies of workbook pages for kids in the lake. She has books that are at first and second grade levels, and also a select few for third grade. Linda is a retired teacher with experience teaching kindergarten through 12th grade. She has offered to lend her services to anyone needing help with schooling. Both teachers can be contacted through Facebook.

Many others in the community are finding ways to make this unusual and concerning time more positive and enjoyable. Daryl Hogue France and Mickey France went for a golf car ride around the lake and picked up trash along the way.

“We got fresh air, sunshine and helped our community a bit,” Daryl said.

Others are virtually entertaining with their musical talents, like harpist Kylene Evans. So many others are finding positive ways to pass the time: planting gardens, remodeling, painting, baking, drawing, knitting, reading and organizing.

The list goes on as to how much creativity and kindness Canyon Lake residents have to give.