The most challenging of situations have the potential to spark great movements that propel the world forward.
ProjectMaskify is one such great movement.
A junior at Milpitas High School (MHS), Amy Stanley is the Founder and President of the organization; in the past month, the team of 13 individuals — all students from high schools across the Bay Area — have produced 800 handmade masks.
Their initial goal was 300, but when they reached that mark, they decided to keep it going.
At present, they’ve donated masks to the Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, the Milpitas Police Department, the Milpitas Fire Department, and Milpitas City Hall.
“And in the coming weeks, we plan on making donations to many more hospitals and clinics in Santa Clara County,” said Stanley.
The ProjectMaskify team consists of student ambassadors from schools like Monte Vista High School, Homstead High School, and St. Francis. The core group is all from MHS; it’s hinged on Stanley and her two friends — Rachel Pham and Aditi Hariharan, who are also both juniors and serve as the organization’s co-Vice Presidents.
When asked how they’ve been able to organize their time and schedules to make masks while balancing all their home schooling, Stanley said, “We split up the work evenly with all the ambassadors. And we set deadlines. So every week each person is supposed to make a specific number of masks and that’s how we reach our goal.”
One of Stanley’s tasks as President is to collect the materials and distribute them to members of the team. She makes sure to properly sanitize all materials, and, in alignment with social distancing protocols, leaves them on her doorstep for members to come pick up. She will also make drop-offs at students’ homes if necessary.
By later this week, the group expects to have made 1,000 masks. And for as long as the masks are needed, they plan to continue making them. Recently, they received a generous financial donation from the Milpitas Rotary Club, which they’ve been able to use to purchase materials. They’ve also received some mask donations from the Silicon Valley Quilt Guild.
“In the midst of the rapidly spreading COVID-19 pandemic, most of us are fortunate to be in the comfort of our own homes, but our healthcare workers and first responders who are on the frontline are risking their lives for us every day. And it is our job as a community to ensure that they are protected,” said Stanley.
Go to their website to learn more.
To donate to ProjectMaskify and support these students in making more masks, go to their GoFundMe campaign.
And if anyone is interested in volunteering to make masks, email: projectmaskify@gmail.com
