The "Help Is On The Way In Our Fight Against COVID-19: Part II - Lancaster's Amish Step Up To The Plate" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Wrote yesterday about how Major League Baseball is helping in the fight against COVID-19, and today I will give you an idea as to how Lancaster County's Amish population is pitching in to also help.  The Amish Population in Lancaster County is close to 35,000 which is about one-quarter of all Amish residents in the United States.  They are great neighbors and have now pitched in to help our community fight the Coronavirus.  They realize that they are not exempt from getting the virus and want to be a big part of how to solve the situation that our country is now grappling with.  One of the biggest shortages our medical providers face right now is gowns and masks that are needed to try and keep our doctors and nurses safe from COVID-19.  So, the Amish community is firing up their sewing machines and doing their part to help their community.  Mr. Sylvan Stoltzfus and his wife own Bird-in-Hand Fabric have begun to make about 13,000 fabric masks to donate to Lancaster Health Center.  Mr. Stoltzfus is hoping to find neighbors to make the masks using the fabric that his company is willing to make available.  But, he does realize that masks that are designed for health care provide the best breathing protection for working directly with COVID-19 patients.  

Some of the masks made for use to fight
COVID-19 by the Amish Community.

Cloth masks are not quite the same since they are more porous and not super effective, but I'm sure they are better than nothing.  Recently the Center for Disease Control (CDC) said that using homemade masks may become necessary "as a last resort" if medical masks are not available.  The CDC also said that using respirators intended for non-health care use may also be better than nothing.  A few years ago I traveled to an Amish business that made Amish buggies.  Part of the procedure was sewing the cover for the buggy.  They had several industrial sewing machines and those operating them were masters at their trade.  I'm sure they can produce quite a few masks in a short time.  Cloth masks could still help contain droplets and serve as a reminder not to touch your face while seeking care.  I applaud the Amish community for pithing in to keep Lancaster County as safe as possible.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.