EAGLE, Idaho — Before the pandemic struck the Gem State, the Eagle Christian Church' s quilting group used their skills to create beautiful quilts for anyone in the congregation experiencing a crisis. Members like Jerri Greenman decided when the outbreak of COVID-19 hit home, it was time to pivot.
Jerri is the facilitator of the quilting group, making sure people who need masks get them. She tells Idaho News 6 she's able to make eight face masks in one hour, sometimes more depending on the hour. Her process is efficient, and it's quick.
"When you finally get it down to 15 minutes for one, you feel pretty good," Greenman said.
Folks across the Treasure Valley have reached out to Jerri and her group, and whether they needed one mask or one hundred masks, the group always delivered. Now, they've made over 1,000 masks and counting.
"They have just felt such a massive need that is there," says Bonnie Bilheimer.
Bilheimer works for ComForCare Home Care, an essential business in the state of Idaho. She needed face masks, and after finding the E.C.C group online, Bilheimer says Jerri started gathering everything ComForCare needed.
Jerri says her masks are made out of 100% cotton so they can be washed and dried multiple times.
Bonnie Bilheimer's brother-in-law is in the military and stationed at Fort Bragg in North Carolina. Bonnie told Jerri on a Friday that her brother-in-law's military base could use some masks, and by Monday, Jerri and her group had a box filled with red, white, and blue fabrics ready to go.
"It just meant the world to us that they would help out," said Bilheimer.
Eagle Christian Church's quilting group is funding their projects to make masks and quilts. Since the pandemic, they are running out of materials. If you would like to donate fabric or a JOANN's gift card, you can find them on Facebook or their website.
