JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – In times of uncertainty, Mr. Rogers said it best: “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, 'Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.'”
Katherine Way is one of those helpers.
Way is not a health care worker, or really anything close to it.
However, she does own Katherine Way, the clothing brand, with a warehouse of fabric.
“We’re actually producing and putting together packages of COVID-19 Mask Kits,” Way said in a video call with News4Jax.
Way and her team have put together these free kits with fabric from her own designs.
"We have about 30 women that are making masks for us right now," explained Way.
The people who put together the masks together are not employees. They are volunteers who also want to give back to their community.
Starting this week, Way and her volunteers will start making isolation gowns for Baptist Health hospitals.
Another Northeast Florida-based business stepping in to help is Venus.
“As part of the Jacksonville community, we felt compelled to step up to support the selfless health care workers who are working around the clock for their communities during this challenging time,” said Pamela Kimball, director of Swim, Intimates and Sleepwear at Venus.
In just days, workers at Venus made thousands of masks.
And Cinnamon’s Quilt Shoppe donated 574 masks to Brooks Rehabilitation hospital on Tuesday.
Way continues to get requests for kits every day.
"It's very rewarding that perhaps were helping to save somebody's life," said Way.
If you would like one of the mask sewing kits sent to you, click here.