HUNTSVILLE, Ala. —
A group of locals came together and have been working day and night to get equipment to health workers who are risking so much during this pandemic. And it’s all made with love.
Alison Kling, a member of Covenant Presbyterian Church, says, “We found ways to come together even when we’re apart.”
The Covenant Presbyterian Church community has done just that-- come together. And it all started when they saw a need.
David Kling is the Senior Pastor at Covenant Presbyterian Church. He tells you, “We have doctors and nurses at our church at both Crestwood and Huntsville Hospital. And, we have a great group of ladies called the ‘Mission Stitchers’, and they have for years been sewing pillowcases for children who have overnight stays at Huntsville Hospital. So, they reached out right away to the Huntsville Hospital foundation and asked how they could help.”
And the sewing commenced!
David Kling tells us, “they’ve already sewed over 300 masks and distributed them and that’s kind of how we got started!”
But, the help didn’t end there. They asked more doctors what other equipment they need.
David Kling says, “They said ‘Caps! We would really love surgical caps!’ And then we saw another and he said ‘Yeah! And if you could put buttons on the side of the masks, we could actually hook our masks over the buttons and that would really save our ears.’ Because it really hurts your ears all day long.”
Then, they posted instructions and patterns for the masks and caps on the Covenant Presbyterian Church online blog and invited everyone to start sewing and help the local health workers in their communities!
Personal Protective Equipment, or PPE, is a major concern for hospitals across the country. David says it’s amazing to see everyone in Huntsville lending a hand in their own ways. He adds, “People are so creative. There’s so much ingenuity in how to solve these problems.”
They say, nothing beats seeing how excited health professionals are when they get their caps and masks.
Alison Kling is the Development Director of Free2Teach in Huntsville, church member, and David's wife. She says, “Dr. Lee, he’s a pediatrician, and he sent us his picture with his full PPE. And 10 minutes later, he said ‘Uh, you know the rest of my team wants these. You can get me more right?’ and I said, ‘Oh yeah!’”
David Kling adds, “It really does make you feel connected to something bigger than yourself.”
David and Alison Kling tell us, the church members are in need of more elastic for the caps and masks, so donations would really help. But, you can help in so many other ways.
Click here to connect with them on Facebook and reach out for more information. Click here to go to the Covenant Presbyterian Church online blog and find patterns to make masks, caps and more.
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