A local mask maker made her 7th donation to local food banks last week totaling $3800.
This month marks Debbie Amirault’s one year anniversary of making masks for the community and raising money for both the House of Lazarus (HOL) and the Kemptville Salvation Army Food Bank. Using mostly donated fabric, she has committed hundreds of hours to the Mouth2Mouth Project, providing not only custom-made affordable masks to the community but also supporting those who have been most affected by the pandemic.
Executive Director of the HOL, Cathy Ashby, says they are very grateful for the $500 that Debbie dropped off last Thursday, especially since their stores, which are their main source of revenue, have been closed for April and May. “This will really help cover those operating expenses to keep the food bank open and the outreach programs going,” she says.
Debbie is still enjoying making masks and is constantly coming up with new patterns and ideas. She recently created a special mask for men with beards which she is selling for $6 instead of the usual $4. To celebrate Canada Day, she also found a fun red and white fabric complete with Canadian flags, moose, and maple syrup bottles. Canada Day masks are available for men, women, teenagers and kids, but quantities are limited.
Since the last provincial lockdown, Debbie has been hard at work filling mask orders and has made enough money to also make a $500 donation to the Kemptville Salvation Army Food Bank. While the Mouth2Mouth Project was something she started to keep herself busy in retirement and help the local community, Debbie admits the endeavour has been extremely gratifying. “It’s a feel-good thing for sure,” she says. “It’s heartwarming to see so much support from the community that I’m living in as well. I couldn’t have done it without them.”
The only thing she is running low on right now is the cotton backing she uses in every mask. If anyone is willing to donated solid-colour 100% cotton material, or is interesting in ordering a mask, you can contact Debbie by emailing mouth2mouthproject@gmail.com or message her on Facebook under Debbie Amirault.
