When Chicago musician Yana Reznik lost her job due to the coronavirus pandemic, she wanted to do something with her time to help healthcare workers, like her husband.
He’s an ER doctor at multiple Chicago-area hospitals and is forced to reuse his PPE due to shortages.
After posting on Facebook asking people to make and donate face masks, Reznik received thousands of dollars in donations along with a plethora of PPE from all around the world.
“They are helping because what we saw when we dropped off the masks, they’re so needed,” Reznik said.
So far 1,600 masks have been made and delivered to Chicago-area hospitals.
But the masks aren’t just helping those who wear them, they're also helping those who make them.
“With the finances we were able to get, and we’re continuously working on raising more money, we’re now able to employ artists out of work,” Reznik said.
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Artists include Chicagoan Kristen Ahern, a costume designer who found herself without a job.
“A lot of us really do want to contribute and do what we can, but we’ve all been laid off,” Ahern said.
She’s now one of almost 20 people with the Artists’ Resource Mobilization group making money by making masks for Reznik’s cause.
“It will be over and I think what’s important is how we spend this time and to make the best out of it” Reznik said.
If you need assistance or would like to help make masks, you can email Yana Reznik at maskdrive2020@gmail.com.
