LOUISVILLE, Ky. — With coronavirus cases on the rise, there is a growing concern about the shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) for healthcare professionals.

Heather Green is used to making and tailoring wedding dresses, but with many weddings on pause due to the coronavirus, she had extra time and material on hand. That’s why she started to make face masks for healthcare professionals

“I decided that was a great use of the extra fabric I had around,” Green said.

She’s not alone. After Deaconess Hospital in Evansville, Indiana, put out a call for help on social media, Lynn Quier wondered if this was something that healthcare professionals in Kentucky would need too.

“I sew and obviously things have slowed down, so I needed something to do. I saw a few posts being made about making them, so I did some research on it to make sure it is really something they wanted. I got in contact with a nurse friend of mine. She said yes, so I thought I’ll start a little group and get my friends together who are sitting here bored also,” Quier said.

She started the Louisville KY Surgical Mask Making Group on Facebook. Since she had extra material, she is cutting fabric to make kits to drop off for others who can sew but don’t have the resources on hand.

While the group does not have any official affiliations with any hospital groups at this time, they have been in contact with some nurses, pharmacists and even some outreach groups in the community. No matter the need, they are there just trying to help during this tough time.