Mask Drive Results in Thousands of Donations

Mask Drive Results in Thousands of Donated Cloth Masks

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA – June 5, 2020 – The City of Cedar Rapids would like to thank the many volunteers and community groups who invested time and resources to create and donate cloth face masks to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 in our community. Between April and May, more than 3,300 masks were donated from residents as well as groups, including the Girl Scouts of East Central Iowa, Threads Cedar Rapids, New Covenant Bible Church, and the Cedar Rapids/Marion Sewing Group.

Donated masks went to the following organizations to help with distribution to residents in need:

• Linn County Public Health
• United Way of East Central Iowa
• HACAP
• The RISE Program
• YPN
• Willis Dady Shelter
• United We March Forward.

The mask drive supports Cedar Rapids’ MVP Program (Municipal Volunteer Program), which launched earlier this year and encourages residents to be actively involved and interested in promoting community well-being.

The mask drive is consistent with recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to reduce the spread of COVID-19. The CDC recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (e.g., grocery stores and pharmacies).

Cloth face masks should fit snugly and be cleaned regularly. Children under 2 years of age should not wear a cloth masks.