Catherine Merritt ’21
Quarantining at home this past spring left many people bored and with an excess of pent-up energy. Some turned to baking, exercising, TV-binging, and countless other activities for the hopelessly stultified. After going through the TikTok phase, the video game phase, and the binge-watching phase, my family realized that it was time to use this gift of time productively. Seeing the world in such a disarray, it’s so easy to feel like there is nothing you can possibly do to help, and that the problem is so much bigger than you. However, I discovered that this is not the case. During this time, my mom found an organization to which to donate homemade masks. With her impressive sewing skills, my mom took it upon herself to teach my family how to sew. We collected fabric from my grandparents and other family members, stocked up on thread, cracked open the sewing machine, and got to work. We spent about an hour everyday making 150 homemade masks and donating them to a charity in our town. These masks went to doctors and health care workers that were not treating the coronavirus, so that those who were could have first access to medically-approved masks. Through this experience, I learned that even if you get caught up in hopelessness and you feel too small to help, there is always something that can be done. We made a difference, and you can, too! For Mental Health Week last year, I made a How-To video on the sewn masks. I highly recommend taking a look. It is so rewarding to make something from which others can benefit. They can make a great (and practical) homemade gift!