Power Ten, Inc. Operations Coordinator Beth Oliver located at MATSS Miramar in San Diego, CA decided to go above and beyond for her community when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. She explains, “I started sewing masks around the 20th of March when I first started seeing posts on Facebook about homemade masks being made for essential workers, medical staff, etc. I started with making a few for family in Virginia, my MATSS/USMC family, for friends and neighbors and then it went crazy…everyone needed them in CA.”
The requests kept coming in and she was running out of material, so she called in some reinforcements to manage the demand. With the help of her Lakeside neighborhood and the San Diego Motorcycle Community, she was able to get 330 yards of fabric, 500+ yards of elastic, and 6+ people cutting fabric while she made rounds 1-3 times a day picking up or dropping off materials. While still supporting MATSS Operations, for the first 2 weeks of the pandemic, Beth’s machines were running from 6am-11pm most days with minimal breaks.
Beth quickly noticed that there was serious need for help transporting masks from the people making them to the people who needed them. “As a member of a local motorcycle club, I immediately thought that bikers would be perfect to help fill this void! They already wear gloves and face covering, are always looking for any essential reason for being out and can ride for miles on a fraction of the gas of automobiles.”
In addition to being the MATSS Miramar Ops Coordinator, Beth also became the San Diego Mask Coordinator acting as dispatcher for the bikers using an app called Telegram. “Groups would send me lists of orders that were ready to be picked up and addresses for them to be delivered to each day. We had riders from 10+ motorcycle clubs around the county helping move masks all over the county. Literally thousands of masks from San Ysidro to Temecula/Fallbrook.”
That wasn’t the only way Beth got creative. From one of her sewing groups, Beth learned 3Dprinters were being used to make face shield frames, bias tape (a sewing tool) makers, and ear savers to donate as well. Having two of her own 3D printers, she had to get in on that fun too. Another Power Ten employee, Chad Hannah started making ear savers and donated them all over MCAS Miramar and within the community as well.
So far, Beth and her team of helpers have been able to make over 1,855 masks and counting. These masks have been delivered to military groups and their families on base at Miramar, 32nd St., and Camp Pendleton, as well as, Balboa Hospital, small businesses, retirement centers, and daycares. Beth even made specialty desert camouflage and tan masks for a deploying Osprey squadron. Beth said, “I understand and respect the uniforms our military members wear and was determined to make them masks that were both comfortable and would comply with regulations if they existed.”
Thank you Beth Oliver, Chad Hannah, and all the others helping with this effort. Power Ten is proud to have such generous and resourceful employees.
