Kimmy, volunteer, solid bridge between volunteers and clients

Kimmy Chan, one of our volunteers in Adelaide who played an important role in our group: Customer Service. Below is what she wants to share with us.

"Making sure the right projects get to those who really need them.” Being one of the volunteers in this project, it makes me very happy to see volunteers putting in such great efforts to help the community. It pleases me to see people in our communities not abandoning each other during this pandemic. As a volunteer myself, I am doing this because I want to help my community, not for any financial gain. When I look around me, I see our volunteers just like me, driven by a sense of altruism. We are not heroes, we are doing what we think is right.

We received the case of a desperate mum wanting masks for her children and family members with Asthma. She was passionate to learn how to make it herself. Her concern was that she did not have a sewing machine and didn't realize that she didn’t need one to make these masks. We then shared a hand-sew tutorial and some sewing tips with her. We have also given her some HK Masks, so that she is able to protect her family while she figures out how to make the cotton mask herself. A few days later, she told me she bought a sewing machine and started to learn how to sew the mask. She was so excited to share the masks she made to some of the people around her.

We want to give hope and comfort to those who feel the burden of life at this time. We unite as a community to help those who are less fortunate. We do all this to spread the love and touch as many hearts as possible.

We are a small team of volunteers and have limited ability to help everyone. We have to prioritize everyone’s situation and put the needs of the most at risk and not able to make their own masks, before others. Our aim first and foremost is to help the elderly, vulnerable and people with disabilities. We make these masks to order and provide them free of charge to these people. For anyone else, we provide help and instruction so they are able to make their own masks.

By encouraging community use of these homemade fabric masks, people will have a much-increased degree of protection from this virus. Are you ready to sew?

*Thanks to the sewer Sze Sze in Sydney, who tailor-made these beautiful masks.