Hospitality heroes
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A salute to our hospitality and hometown heroes Hand sanitizer instead of whiskey. Ventilators instead of auto parts. Carry-out instead of in-restaurant meals, often free. And millions of face masks, many made right here in Indiana. Hoosiers have pitched in to provide masks to people all over the state.
By Elizabeth Granger
When wanderlust strikes, Steve and Darlene Tague of Fishers – featured in this issue’s cover story – don’t ever forget their face masks at home. That’s because the masks stay in their auto, always ready for the road. The masks were made especially for them by a friend who knows about their desire to travel. The patterns on the fabric? Maps. That friend made masks for many of her friends, and she made masks for workers at a local nursing home. She donated them all. It’s a sign of these times that started with a shortage of masks for medical personnel. That shortage led to millions and millions of donated homemade masks. And 52
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with the CDC’s recommendation that everyone continue to wear masks, the need continues. Individuals are making masks and related gear. So are organizations. For example, the owner of Fables and Fairy Tales book shop in Martinsville, who is an emergency nurse who works on an air ambulance, created and donated comfort clips to health care workers to take the pressure from face mask elastic off the ears when worn for extended periods of time. So did Hometown Shirts and Graphix in Delphi. Businesses, too, are making masks. Vera Bradley and cinda b, two Fort Wayne handbag and accessories
companies, are making masks and hospital gowns with stylish fabrics they’ve become known for. They’re also selling masks online. The Whittaker Inn in Lafayette is spearheading a “Moment in Time” comfort blanket drive. They’re requesting knit and crocheted pieces from anyone; the inn will combine them to create blankets to be distributed to those in need in the fall. There’s been a similar burst of help with hand sanitizer, which has been impossible to find in many places. Because a hefty percentage of sanitizer is alcohol, distilleries have stepped up. They include Hoosier producers such as Starlight
