Just last week, Public Information Officer – Mike Tuntakit - for Avenal State Prison here in California, approached me via email. Apparently, one of the inmates there had referred him to me c/o: PATH. Turns out that the men within YOP (Youth Offender Program), as well as other inmate volunteers at the prison are making face masks to donate to First Responders, loved ones, as well as the entire prison inmate population and prison employees for their own safety precautions.
Since a couple of years ago, I had shipped them material (i.e., colorful assorted fleece fabrics, batting and fun buttons) in order to create handmade teddy bears for a PATH fundraising event, the men are currently in need of more fabric, specifically cotton for sewing hundreds…thousands of face masks.
Mike Tuntakit’s co-worker – Lorraine Lopez in turn contacted me, and well… you know me…. I couldn’t resist, nor turn them down. I told her that I would surely help out .
So, I immediately logged onto JoAnn’s Fabric online store to order approx. 20 yards of assorted textile designs: White Dragonflies on Blue, Bees on Black, Grey Floral Vines, Poppy Red Plaid,
Patriotic Stars on Navy, as well as fun vintage cars, motorcycles and happy hummingbirds (from Ebay sellers!). Pictured are samples of the wonderful face masks that the men are sewing, as well as fabrics that PATH purchased to send them.
If you are interested in donating fabrics for such purposes, please feel free to directly contact Lorraine at the address below:
Lorraine Lopez
Correctional Business Manager I
Avenal State Prison
#1 Kings Way
Avenal, Ca 93204
559-386-0587 5105
Lorraine.Lopez@cdcr.ca.gov
Thank you and God Bless!
Leslie Lakes, Director