Beth McKean and her kids are taking COVID-19 precautions into their own hands, trying to help prevent the spread of the virus by sewing gloves for those in the community.
McKean is the owner of Hip Chick Designs, a local clothing provider. Once she realized the seriousness of COVID-19, she began to brainstorm ideas that could help the community.
"I have a whole bunch of material, a home studio space, sewing machines, and my girlfriend dropped off a roll of about 50 metres' worth of brand-new natural cotton," McKean explained, noting that reusing the cotton gloves and washing them is a much better choice for the environment than buying plastic gloves.
"Through a couple of conversations I had with friends, we got talking about gloves and hand protection and I thought, 'Well, this is something I can use right here.'"
McKean got to work on the project, sewing 32 pairs of gloves for community members, leaving them on her porch for pick-up.
"We have the access, we have the means, so I got my kids involved and everyone has a job and a role," she said.
"We are just doing it to help stop the spread of the virus in our community and help people feel a little more protected."
McKean's goal is to make 30 pairs of gloves every day. She is planning on continuing the glove-making operation as long as it's necessary and as long as there is interest.
She is asking for a small donation and for people to limit themselves to two gloves a person and eight per household. You can find them in a basket on the front porch of her 32 Penetang St. home between the hours of 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.