By Skylar Dalusio

My name is Skylar Dalusio and I’m currently a senior at Orcas Island High School. As a graduation requirement, all seniors are meant to complete a senior project that benefits the community somehow. Helping my community has always been very important to me, so I knew that I would put a lot of passion and thought into my project. As soon as the Coronavirus pandemic started becoming more widespread around the world, I knew I needed to take immediate action to help minimize the spread of the virus, especially in our small community. For my project this year, I decided to sew handmade washable face masks to help protect our residents from the current pandemic. Using my previous sewing experience, I’ve been distributing the masks to islanders, particularly to those that as part of their jobs come into contact with the general public on a daily basis. Though the masks, also known as PPE’s (personal protective equipment), will not completely protect individuals from the virus, they do give people a sense of security in these uncertain times. Of course, self-isolation is the most effective method of preventing the spread, but this is not realistic for many individuals who have to work, or expose themselves to the public, in order to make a living, which is another reason why I wanted to embark on this mask-making journey. My hope is that this project will not only reduce the spread of this virus, but also make individuals aware of how important it is to be cautious and considerate of others, particularly during these stressful times.