Residence Life Director Makes Homemade Masks for Campus Dining Staff
With family, dedication and a very active sewing machine, a member of the Florida Tech community is doing her part to help those who ensure the university keeps moving forward during the coronavirus pandemic.
Florida Tech Director of Residence Life Jacqueline Hetherington, with the help of her mother, Cheryl Horbert, recently created 50 homemade masks for workers in Campus Dining. The masks are not an official form of personal protective equipment but are in keeping with recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations to wear cloth face coverings in public settings, as they reduce the likelihood of inadvertently spreading the virus.
Hetherington is part of Florida Tech’s Pandemic Response Team, which consists of people from multiple departments working to help the university navigate the coronavirus situation. When the team recently discussed the need for masks, Hetherington knew she could fulfill it.
“My mom’s pretty good at sewing, and in past years, we’ve made a lot of costumes for Residence Life related to Treat or Treat,” Hetherington said of Florida Tech’s annual community Halloween event. “She was going to come over for Easter, and afterward, she wanted to sew the masks with me. So, we did that this weekend.”
Hetherington’s and her mother’s “volunteer spirits” are instrumental in assisting those in Campus Dining, said Tom Stewart, director of food service.
“Campus Dining is the happy recipient of Jacqueline and Cheryl’s hard work,” Stewart said. “Dining had a need for masks. With the very limited supply of commercially made masks, Jacqueline stepped up to the plate and offered her skills to craft some very well made, colorful and durable masks for the dining team. We are so thankful for their efforts.”
