On March 31, junior Grace Jones founded the COVID19 Relief Passion Project for the purpose of slowing  the spread of COVID19 through informing the community with posts on the project’s website and Instagram account, handing out free masks to community members and helping anyone in need.

“As a part of the outreach group, for example, I recently contacted a couple of local senior communities and arranged for volunteers to deliver groceries for them,,”  junior and member of the sewing department, distribution department and business departments Lydia Ignatova said.

Despite being created just recently, the organization has already accomplished many goals.

“[The] first order was a milestone for the organization, as we delivered these 100 masks to a nurse at the Hoag Hospital. We proved to ourselves that we can mass-produce masks and distribute them with the help of all the departments working together,” junior and Vice President of Sewing and Art Anika Parekh said.

On top of aiding the elderly, all members of the organization sew their masks by hand.

“Each one of us uses our sewing machines to cut up the fabric, hem the edges, and create pleats (the folds in a mask), to create a fully functional mask from scratch,” junior and member of the sewing department Joseph Moon said.

With so much time to spend at home, the project pushes the idea of remaining positive during this pandemic.

“Instead of wasting this free time you have, pick up a new hobby, help some people and enjoy this time you have for yourself” said Parekh.

Although the project already had such a positive impact on Woodbridge, they are always open to having more people join.

“If anyone is interested in joining this effort, they can message our Instagram or email us. But writing thank you notes to first responders or sewing face masks are activities anyone can easily do from home to help out our community,” Ignatova said.

In the midst of a global pandemic, these warriors are trying their best to have a positive impact on the Woodbridge community.

Site: http://covid19passionproject.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/covid19rpp/

Gofundme: http://www.gofundme.com/f/covid19-relief-passion-project