As George Monbiot of The Guardian recently observed, “The horror films got it wrong. Instead of turning us into flesh-eating zombies, the pandemic has turned millions of people into good neighbours.”
Individuals, businesses, and organizations around the world have stepped up in our collective fight against the novel coronavirus and COVID-19, particularly in support of front-line healthcare workers, and nowhere is that united effort more evident than right here in the Kawarthas.
Last Friday (April 3), Leslie Menagh — owner and operator of Madderhouse Textile Studios, a creative hub in downtown Peterborough for textile and fibre arts enthusiasts — put out a call to all sewing enthusiasts in the Peterborough area.
“I had a direct conversation today with a Peterborough Regional Health Centre emergency room staffer who confirms that there is a need for medical caps and headbands, to the tune of about 300 of each,” Leslie writes on Facebook.
“These are reusable/washable items (often disposable) that are now in short supply. So, Madderhouse is working with the help of the New Canadians Centre and Repair Cafe Peterborough to organize a fleet of volunteer sewists like yourselves to meet this demand as quickly as possible.”
Since putting out the call, and with the support of the New Canadians Centre and Repair Cafe Peterborough, more than 130 volunteers have signed up for the effort.
Madderhouse has been working with the New Canadians Centre — a non-profit charitable organization dedicated to supporting immigrants, refugees, and other newcomers in the Peterborough and Northumberland regions — for almost two years on a number of different sewing-related initiatives, so it was a no-brainer for the two to join forces, with the additional support of Repair Cafe Peterborough.
“The work of our sewing program has gained popularity in social media through our work with Madderhouse and more recently with Watson & Lou,” says Reem Ali, Workplace Integration Liaison with New Canadians Centre.
“We were introduced to Peterborough’s circle of makers, thereby instilling an increased sense of community and belonging in the participants of our sewing program. Coming together for a unified cause also sheds light on the importance of community aid during challenging times.”
For more information about the effort (including instructions and patterns) and to volunteer, visit www.madderhouse.com/volunteer.
Volunteers can drop off completed items at the side entrance to Madderhouse, down the alleyway at 383 Water Street, between 6 and 8 p.m. on weeknights.
Currently, the project is focused on creating caps and headbands for healthcare workers. People who can sew are needed to produce the caps and headbands, and donors are need to contribute woven and jersey knit fabrics, buttons, or thread.
So far, volunteers have created 284 caps and 121 headbands, with more coming.
Leslie tells kawarthaNOW that volunteers will turn their efforts next to the Peterborough Regional Health Centre’s 1,000 Mask Challenge.
This is only one example of the many efforts by local businesses and organizations to give back support communities in the Kawarthas during the COVID-19 pandemic. Below are a few of the other efforts in the region.
- Sherrie Le Masurier, founder and owner of Peterborough-based Simply Natural Canada, is distributing 500 unique handcrafted bars of vegan soap in clear compostable cellophane. The soap bars are especially designed for children to encourage hand washing. The soaps were originally going to be distributed through the Rotary Club of Peterborough’s 24 Little Library locations, but Rotary has now recommended that hosts empty and close the Little Library boxes due to COVID-19. The soaps will be distributed in other Little Library locations (see facebook.com/simplynaturalcanada for the locations) and outside Simply Natural Canada’s home office at 639 Pinewood Drive in Peterborough (near Fleming College) from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
- Harco Enterprises (675 The Parkway, Peterborough) and Merit Precision (2035 Fisher Dr,, Peterborough) are working together to produce face shields for front-line healthcare workers and first responders.
- Fully Promoted Peterborough (774 Rye St., Peterborough) has sold more than 300 t-shirts, raising over $1,500 for the Peterborough Regional Health Centre Foundation’s Dedicated COVID-19 Response Fund.
- Ricart Promotions & Recognition (259 Lansdowne St. E., Peterborough) has donated 1,200 blank t-shirts for volunteers to make non-medical face masks for Peterborough Regional Health Centre.
- Chemong Family Dental (890 Chemong Rd., Peetrborough) has donated 6,000 gloves, 500 masks, 86 gowns, hand sanitizer, and face shields to Peterborough Regional Health Centre.
- La Mesita Restaurante and Catering (229 Hunter St. W., Peterborough) is collecting donated caps and headbands for Peterborough Regional Health Centre front-line healthcare workers.
- Hannamars Bridal (406 Mark St., Peterborough) has used scrap fabric to make more than 120 masks for Peterborough Regional Health Centre, Fairhaven Long Term Care, and St. Joseph at Fleming Long Term Care.
- LLF Lawyers (332 Aylmer St N, Peterborough) has donated $10,000 to the Community Foundation of Greater Peterborough and United Way Peterborough & District’s COVID-19 Community Response Fund.
- Peterborough Utilities Group (1867 Ashburnham Dr., Peterborough) is donating a total of $125,000 to Kawartha Food Share and to the Community Foundation of Greater Peterborough and United Way Peterborough & District’s COVID-19 Community Response Fund.
- Kawartha Dairy (89 Prince St. W., Bobcaygeon), Whitney Plastics (423 Verulam Rd. N., Lindsay), British Empire Fuels (Lindsay and Bobcaygeon), and Bigley Shoes and Clothing (39 Bolton St, Bobcaygeon) are among the businesses in the City of Kawartha Lakes that have pledged more than $70,000 to the Bobcaygeon and Area COVID-19 Relief Fund.
- WG Jackett & Sons Construction (5065 Highway 35, Fenelon Falls), Young’s Construction (34 West St. S., Fenelon Falls), and Rockwood Forest Nurseries (437 Mark Rd., Cameron) are planting between 100,000 and 200,000 containers with vegetables. They will be providing the container vegetables with zero contact and at no cost, to seniors and underprivileged households in the Kawartha Lakes and surrounding communities. They’ve started a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds for the initiative.
- Fenelon Falls Brewing Co. (4 May St, Fenelon Falls) will donate $2 for every case sold from their online bottle shop to front-line staff and first responders at Ross Memorial Hospita in Lindsay.
- Dvine Laboratories (423 Kawartha Lakes County Rd, 36, Lindsay), which usually manufactures e-liquids for vaping products, has retooled to produce thousands of hand sanitizer for front-line healthcare workers.
- Whitney Plastics (423 Verulam Rd. N., Lindsay), which usually manufactures spray foam insulation and plastics packaging, has retooled to produce face masks and shields for front-line healthcare workers.
If you know of any others, please email us the details at newsroom@kawarthanow.com and we’ll add them to this list.
