A group of local volunteers is making masks to help medical and care providers here in Wallowa County. The shortage of masks for medical personnel on the front line of COVID-19 care has made headlines around the globe. The shortage is especially critical in the U.S.

But Deve Wolfe of Tempting Teal Boutique in Joseph and Celeste Bauck of Prairie Creek Quilts in Enterprise have plans to assure that Wallowa County has plenty of masks available. Volunteers can make them out of materials that the two shops supply, gratis.

“These aren’t medical grade masks,” Wolfe said. “But especially the ones made out of heavy-duty cotton can be placed over medical-grade masks to make them last longer.” The masks may also help keep people who might be sick from something other than coronavirus from transmitting whatever they have, Wolfe said.

“We’ve had a lot of people picking up supplies and making the masks,” she said. “There’s even one guy who works in fisheries who’s done about 40 of them. He really liked the fish pattern he could use.”

Patterns and directions are available on the Tempting Teal Boutique and Prairie Creek Quilts Facebook pages. For those without internet or Facebook access, Wolfe said that she’d leave patterns and instructions on the front and back doors of both of the stores. Fabrics for sewing the masks are available by calling Prairie Creek Quilts at 541-426-3900, or Tempting Teal Boutique at 541-432-9653. Completed masks can be left at the back doors of either shop. “We’ll take care of getting them all to the right places”, Wolfe said.