LAKEWOOD, Ohio — Since March, a Lakewood mother has sewn and given away nearly 4,000 masks.
What You Need To Know
- Kayleigh Stewart said since March, she’s sewn and given away nearly 4,000 masks
- Stewart says as many as 150 people come during the two-hour giveaway window each weekend
- This mother is happy to teach her kids about the importance of giving back
Kayleigh Stewart is helping people in her community and teaching her children a valuable lesson at the same time.
About 30 minutes until show time, regulars like Yardena Flor and her son, Kyle, have already lined the sidewalk.
“I just love the way Kayleigh makes her masks and, you know, there’s a need for them,” said Flor.
In their matching masks, mommy’s little helpers pitch in to help set up.
Everyone works together to hang the signs and put out the baskets of homemade masks.
It’s 7-year-old McKenna and 6-year-old Riley’s job is to create chalk “X” marks so customers may socially distance while waiting.
“With the amount of people that come every week, it’s like a second job,” said Stewart.
Stewart has a full-time job, four kids at home, and like many parents, starting Tuesday, she’ll be helping her children with virtual learning.
Despite the demands of her day-to-day life, Stewart spends her evenings sewing roughly 200-300 masks per week.
“I just try to make them fun and something that they wouldn’t mind having on their face all day,” said Stewart.
She was doing it out of both the kindness of her heart and wallet at first and now she’s able to continue because of community donations.
“People donate and people don’t donate and that’s kind of why I’m doing this. The people that can’t it’s absolutely no problem, come pick your masks up and then the people that can, great it’s so helpful,” said Stewart.
She organizes the weekly table on Facebook and since March, she’s sewn and given away nearly 4,000 masks.
Although she may slow down a bit to adjust to home-learning, Stewart’s not stopping anytime soon.
There’s a fabric and size for all: toddlers, kids, and adults.
The line is long. Stewart said as many as 150 people come during the two-hour giveaway window each weekend.
So if you want one, you better come early. They go fast.
“We’ve only been open for 10 minutes and the women’s masks are almost all gone, so yeah I have a lot of sewing to do,” said Stewart.
This mother is happy to teach her kids about the importance of giving back.
“They’re proud of me and it is fun to get them involved and she’s (McKenna) made masks for her friends and them coming to see all of these people, it’s nice,” she said.
For Stewart, this experience means building new friendships and a stronger community.
“It makes me feel good that I’m helping out,” said Stewart.
Everyone leaves with smile, even if you can’t always quite see it.
