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'I shed a tear over the group sewing': Montezuma Mennonite community making masks for COVID-19 relief

They have 40 ladies working on the project and have made 4,000 masks in two weeks.

MONTEZUMA, Ga. — Right now, a lot of folks need masks.

The ladies of Macon County's Mennonite community have jumped in to help.

They've given generously to hospitals in the state.

Catherine Schlaback is one of 40 ladies in the Mennonite community sewing masks for nurses and doctors.

"We just volunteered because that's right up our alley in terms of our abilities, and we do have the time. It's a need that needed to be met," she explained.  "They're wearing on top of their PPE just to give them protection."

In two weeks, they've churned out almost 4,000 masks. 1,700 went to Phoebe Putney in Albany, and 2,000 to Navicent in Macon.

Catherine says they want to do more than just deliver masks. They use bright colors and fabrics like Winnie the Pooh and the '90s to hopefully put a smile on people's faces.

For many of the women, including Catherine, this mission is personal.

"My mom's a nurse right now through all of this, and I can't be there to help her, but I'm helping those that do what she's doing because the doctors, nurses, and caregivers are on the front lines," she said.

Naomi Weaver is a Mennonite and a traveling nurse currently working in Augusta.

"It's been amazing the way God's blessed us," Naomi said. "I actually shed a lot of tears over the group sewing because of how much it means to us to know we have extra protection, that my family and friends in the community are helping us protect ourselves."

It's a simple piece of cloth that means so much to so many people.  

"It takes about 10 or 15 minutes to make a cloth. If you get good, it's 10," Catherine calculated.

The ladies from the Mennonite community say they will continue to make masks for hospitals until the nurses have enough or the pandemic is over.

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