350 masks donated to EMS

A delivery of 350 handmade face masks were received Friday by Whitman County Emergency Management. Bill Shuler of Masks for Spokane Healthcare delivered the bags of fabric masks to the Emergency Operations Center at the Public Service Building. The masks will be distributed to firefighters and EMS personnel around the county.

"The phone call was so unexpected and blessed," said Janel Goebel, EOC logistics.

Without preamble, Shuler called EOC Friday to set up the delivery. He founded Masks for Spokane Healthcare with wife Molly and collaborates with about 300 seamstresses through the Inland Northwest Chapter of the American Sewing Guild.

"The talent of these women is unbelievable," Shuler said. He has been working with local fabric, sewing and quilting businesses to produce the masks being given to EMS throughout the region. He stated 7,773 total had already been made and he anticipated easily surpassing their initial goal of 10,000. Other deliveries have been made in Spokane, Stevens and Lincoln counties.

Masks for Spokane Healthcare began with a GoFundMe account. They are still welcoming donations of fabric, elastic and money. Shuler noted elastic is the thing they are having the most difficulty finding.

Anyone wishing to donate can leave items at the EOC in Colfax.