10,000 masks.
Ten thousand. Numbers like these are too large to process. We hear them on the daily, interact with thousands on a day-to-day basis, and are one of the trillion people on Earth. But to tangibly conceptualize ten thousand of something is a surprisingly difficult task to do.
Yet, after eight long months of continuous work, persistence from a group of small students, we finally made it to a huge milestone of 10,000 masks. I think this number puts into perspective the amount of hard work and commitment have been able to inspire within our team. I am undeniably excited and proud of each individual who dedicated their time to making masks.
To celebrate our success, I decided to host a short donut party outside and invite volunteers (of course, with social distancing guidelines and wearing masks) to recognize and celebrate the efforts of our team. To me, this was the first time I was able to interact with the volunteer in-person and get in touch with who they were personally. I came to understand their motivations, their aspirations, and why they decided to become apart of HSFL. It was a truly liberating experience; we were finally able to see one another in real life, not true a blank Zoom screen and interact.
During our party, one moment that particularly notable to me was my interaction with our National Manager, Jessica Lin. Her work is invaluable to our team — she is looks for organizations and communities in need, organizes emails, and still is able to sew her own masks as well. While speaking with her, even Jessica was surprised by the sheer number of masks we had been able to donate. Knowing this, I have no doubt that our volunteers are just as shocked and taken-aback by this number as well.
To sew masks for several months on end all while hearing how the constant drone of television reports and over-flooded hospitals, makes our work seem never ending and often, monotonous. The statistics have reached a constant background noise, perpetuating the ever-rising demand of PPE.
Yet, I hope that this moment will be able to inspire others and become a moment of pride for our volunteers. 10,000 masks is a colossal number, especially for a local group of high school students. It is a physical reminder that our work is changing our community, and quite literally saving people’s lives.
As we approach the end of 2020 and the need for masks continues, I know our team will drive forward and continue to deliver to those in need. Let’s look to 20.000 masks!
November 19th, 2020
