Last week Draper donated 1200 masks to Henry County Memorial Hospital. Both paper and N95 masks were included.

“Draper is always looking for ways that we can help our local community,” said company president Chris Broome. “It is particularly important with the current COVID pandemic. One of the things we realized is we had masks, and that our local hospital needed them more than we do.”

Around the country, people are finding ways to help out during the pandemic. Volunteers and organizations are banding together to provide meals, while other people are sewing masks to donate to their local healthcare facilities.

Seeing this mobilization of effort, some of our employees started asking what Draper could do to help out. Several suggested that Draper look into the possibility of making masks.

“I have been sewing at Draper for over 30 years. When I saw stories about the need for masks, I thought this is something I could help with,” said Draper employee Barb Russell. “I’m concerned for my co-workers and community and if providing masks helps contain the spread of the virus, then I feel it’s what I should do. There are several of us sewing masks now at Draper and we just want to contribute any way we can.”

Russell is one of several Draper workers who have volunteered to make the masks.

“It is great to see our employees looking for ways that they and Draper can help,” said Broome. “These masks can be used by our local hospital and others in our community who need them.”

Draper is also considering other products we can make. Employees have provided several suggestions, and we are exploring which would fit our manufacturing capabilities.