This has definitely been a season of making lemonade out of lemons, hasn’t it? For a lot of us, our days are filled with uncertainty about a number of things. There is a lot of instability right now, but what is certain is that there is still a lot of goodness and community in our city.
While our online store is up and running 24/7, We have slightly shifted our business, with a brand new project.
We are excited to share that Rethreaded is now making masks! In partnership with Ascension St. Vincent’s and four local credit unions, we are able to put together an essential team to make these masks for our incredible healthcare workers. VyStar Credit Union, Community First Credit Union, 121 Financial Credit Union and Jax Federal Credit Union are generously covering the labor costs, while Ascension St. Vincent provides the materials.
In a discovery by a UF doctor that material originally used to sterilize tools or hospital equipment can be reused for surgical masks, we are able to make the masks at an N99 level. This high-quality material has been shown to keep out water, bacteria and 99.9 percent of particulates. We are happy to share and know that these masks will be helpful to those on the front lines of this pandemic.
Our Founder and CEO Kristin Keen said “We are honored to offer our expertise in sewing and production on this important project that supports our mission to provide a second chance at life through employment for survivors of human trafficking. We’re so thankful to be able to assist Ascension St. Vincent’s and our greater community at this important time, and we’re grateful to our credit union partners for their support that provides safe and impactful work for our survivors.”
The four credit unions came together in a joint statement to say, “Credit Unions are founded on the principle of People Helping People and in these uncertain times of need, we have come together to be a force for good.” We want to say a big THANK YOU to all of the organizations involved. It is an honor to be a part of this project and rally together the community to help those who need it the most.
The Rethreaded team is grateful to put their sewing skills to good use to continue to give back to the community. We love seeing everyone’s excited and supportive comments and please know they bring us great encouragement that we all need right now. The amount of community we have experienced during this time of isolation has been a big blessing. Our hearts go out to all the medical professionals on the frontlines during this time. We are so thankful for all your hard work. Our hope is that, through this time of uncertainty, you feel the same sense of community that we do.
These medical masks are for the individuals currently on the frontlines. We are exploring ways to make masks for the public, please stay tuned.
To learn more about this project, check out our full press release here.
Check how our staff is staying hopeful during this time here.