(Photo: YouTube.com)

Operation #SewTOGETHER has the goal to donate more face masks

The fashion brand known for its stylish and durable ballet flats, Tieks, launched Operation #SewTogether in response to the Coronavirus pandemic and offers Tieks gift cards in exchange for making low-grade face masks. Tieks wants to help during this hard time by encouraging more people to create their own face masks while giving back by making some to help supply the massive shortage.

Tieks is offering a $50 gift card to anyone who stitches and donates 25 masks, while also offering a $100 gift card to anyone who stitches and donates 50 or more masks. Tieks is working hard to provide face masks to hospitals in Los Angeles suffering from extreme shortages.

Tieks is focusing on lower-grade face masks so more people have an alternative for face masks that are desperately needed for health care workers and COVID-19 patients. Most of the general population are buying face masks and creating a bigger demand for face masks for doctors’ offices and hospitals, with one of the best solutions being for people to create their own face masks that can be sterilized and reused.

Tieks outlines its program with the following instructions:

1. Create your face masks
The face masks Tieks is requesting are simple masks with pockets to hold removable filters designated for non-COVID-19 providers and patients including larger face masks to fit over N95 and other medical-grade equipment. Sewn homemade masks can be stitched by machine or hand but should be made with pre-washed, double-layered cotton.

Tieks recommends using these resources as examples when making face masks:
https://www.joann.com/make-to-give-response

Mask Sewing Patterns




https://www.vivaveltoro.com/cloth-face-masks/

2. Photograph your face masks
When you’re finished making your face masks, take a photo of all the masks (laid out for count) with a sheet of paper including the date, your full name, and the number of masks you made for the purposes of verifying the donation.

3. Choose a donation facility
You have the choice of sending your face masks to Tieks distribution center or to a local approved facility in your area accepting DIY face masks. You can send your donations directly through mail at the following address:

Tieks by Gavrieli
Shipping and Receiving
5731 Buckingham Parkway
Culver City, CA 90230

It’s recommended that you check with your local hospitals to see if they’re donating or try to look it up online if possible. On the bottom of the #SewTOGETHER Tieks page, you can see comments of health care workers that are looking for face masks with suggestions on other facilities accepting DIY face masks.

4. Donate your face masks
When you donate the masks, they have a submission form you need to complete to verify your donation including your full name, email, the recipient facilty, the donation amount, and a picture of your face masks.

Tieks will then verify the donation and e-mail you a code for your gift card. For more on Operation #SewTOGETHER, click here.