Q: What are you doing?
A: People are making masks, but they don’t always know who needs the masks or how to get the masks to the organizations that need them. We are linking demand with supply via fabric stores and UPS stores.
Q: You’re an egg company. Why are you doing this?
A: This is a stretch for us. However, we are accustomed to both logistics and marrying supply and demand. LoLa sees a need and just wants to do her chicken-y best to help – and she’s not very good at making masks herself.
Q: How does this work?
A: People go to their local fabric store for fabric to make masks and bring completed masks to the participating fabric store. The fabric store works with their local UPS store to ship out the masks to the agencies who are requesting them. Locally Laid’s role is to marry up the need for masks with the closest participating fabric store for fulfillment.
Q: I’m making masks for a fabric store that’s participating in this. What should I do?
A: Put the completed masks into a plastic bag, 25 masks to a bag, and please return it to the participating fabric store.
Q: Where are you doing this?
A: We recognize that there is likely a lot of need. We are piloting this in Minnesota because we want to get our poultry in a row and start slowly. So, we’re limiting this to Minnesota agencies and Minnesota fabric stores to start. If successful, we’ll expand.
Q: I’m with a healthcare organization or first responder agency. We need masks but I’m not in Minnesota? Can I still request masks?
A: Yes.
Q: I’m a fabric store in Minnesota. I want to help. Where do I go (click on link to page for fabric stores and where they can enter their info).
Q: I’m a fabric store outside of Minnesota and I want to participate. Can I still enter my information on your website?
A: Yes.
Q: Is there a cost to participating?
A: No.
Q: Are the masks sterile?
A: No. These are homemade masks for people who likely have viral symptoms and for whom no sterile mask is available. This is what an Emergency Room physician from a nearby health system wrote about the masks:
This mask WILL NOT PROTECT THE WEARER FROM CORONAVIRUS. However, it will prevent the wearer from spreading spittle when they cough or sneeze. This will hopefully prevent coronavirus from becoming aerosolized as much or from landing on surfaces so much. So, this mask PROTECTS THE PEOPLE AROUND THE WEARER from coronavirus.
Q: I’m a healthcare organization and/or first responder. How many masks can I request?
A: Masks are placed into plastic bags in quantities of 25. You may request 25, 50, 75, or 100.
Q: I’m a healthcare organization / first responder with multiple locations. Each location needs masks. Do I make separate requests?
A: Yes. For every location in need, please make an individual entry.
Q: I want a mask for my own personal use, may I get one through you?
A: No. The focus is simply getting free masks to healthcare organizations (hospitals, clinics, skilled nursing, long-term care facilities and group homes) and first responders (fire, EMS, and law enforcement).
Q: I have the ability to grow this program. What should I do?
A: Send Jason an email [email protected]