TUCSON, Ariz. — Pima Community College students, instructors and staff are finding ways to help by donating personal protective equipment to frontline healthcare workers and the community during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Last week, PCC donated 400 N95 masks and 220 boxes of gloves, which is approximately 22,000 gloves to Pima County. County officials will distribute the items collected to medical professionals in need of these items.
“I thank our students, program deans and Facilities Department employees for ensuring these donations. I am pleased Pima can play a pivotal role in supporting our community," PCC Chancellor Lee Lambert said.
In addition to the donations, nearly 50 PCC Fashion Design and Clothing Department students and instructors are producing face masks in efforts to help prevent further spread of COVID-19.
The project developed after a local hospital nurse asked a Fashion Design and Clothing student and West Campus Fashion Club President to make a cover that can go over the N95 mask.
According to a news release from PCC, students and instructors are making the masks upon request to donate to local charities including; the Community Food of Southern Arizona and Tucson. The masks will also will be sold to the public through the Pima Foundation, and through a small business started by a former student in efforts to help recently out-of-work students.
"The mask sewing project has become part of some Fashion Design and Clothing classes in Pima’s new virtual environment," head of the Fashion Design and Clothing Department Nancy Spaulding said.
Local businesses are supporting the project like Joann Fabric and Craft stores, which have donated fabric to the students and instructors to continue to produce the face shields. Along with Palo Verde Cleaners business, which is sanitizing the masks after they have been made before distributing them to local charities. Students who don't have a sewing machine and rely on machines in the lab through the program can complete their projects with machines provided by Cathey's Sewing and Vacuum.
More information about Pima can be found, here.
