In the midst of uncertain times, local organizations and individuals have banded together to make a positive impact in response to COVID-19. Cincinnati Eye Institute (CEI) utilized the unique skills of their employees to develop an initiative to sew face masks for medical professionals. Their desire to be of service birthed Mask-a-Thon, an inspiring project that united over 40 CEI employees who rallied to sew 1,400 masks in two weeks.
Amy MacLean, director of corporate compliance at CEI, first learned about the opportunity to help after a friend sent her a link to another Cincinnati group that was sewing masks to donate locally.
“I thought maybe it was something we could do for our employees,” MacLean says. “When we saw that PPE was going to be short and in demand, the executives thought we could make homemade masks for the employees to ease that shortage. From there it took off! Managers contacted staff to see if they would want to come in and help. Over the course of the two weeks it took us to make them, more than 40 employees participated.”
MacLean found a pattern on YouTube, adapted it and gathered the supplies. Then employees cut out masks, ironed, sewed and bagged them before distributing to workers. The interest in volunteering for the project grew by word-of-mouth. The managers contacted employees who were on furlough. Eager to help, many jumped at the opportunity, working all day every day. Even people who couldn’t sew contributed to the project by ironing and cutting out wire. The volunteers kept a running daily count of masks sewn, building excitement and generating momentum. CEI employees were delighted to be able to use their time to make a difference while building camaraderie.
“We are a large organization. Employees who volunteered were able to meet new people and connect with them on a different level than they would while working in the clinic. I think that made it special for them,” MacLean notes. “I couldn’t have asked for a better team. They weren’t hand-picked. The team was just people who said, ‘Yes, I can help!’ And they sure did. They came ready. The camaraderie and unity of the team were remarkable. We came together in a time when life otherwise seemed gloomy and grey. I think that was huge. I loved seeing how the people who came and worked took pride in what they did because they knew their co-workers would be wearing the masks. They wanted it to be a well-executed project and it really was.”
MacLean was impressed by the generosity of CEI employees and the leadership exemplified during the project. Several expert sewers took initiative to train new volunteers and show them the ropes. Others demonstrated leadership by recruiting volunteers and encouraging the team.
“There were several people who just took charge and that really made the project a huge success, she says. It took more than just me to make this a success, and people really stepped up to make this possible.”
Cincinnati Eye Institute is a partner practice of CVP Physicians, a premier network of ophthalmology practices that provides world-class eye care. CEI has 11 convenient locations in the Greater Cincinnati area. For more information, call 513.984.5133 or visit www.cincinnatieye.com.