Mollie Brusseau, 64, learns how to sew a face mask from Dixie Cooper. Cooper's home was headquarters for a mask sewing effort on the part of Long Beach Peninsula residents.  

OCEAN PARK — About 35 quilters, sewers and other crafty peninsula citizens have pleated, stitched and looped more than 2,500 face masks for the community since March 23.

The group is being spearheaded by Dixie Cooper, 72, who uses a bench outside her home to instruct new sewers on the technique of mask making. Cooper keeps track of everything in a little book, noting each pack of 20 pre-cut masks she sends out to the extended thread of folks working on the project.

In less than an hour on April 9, four different people came by, either dropping off completed masks, picking up a new pack to sew or dropping off lunch for Cooper, who kept forgetting to eat, said Cecile LeFevre, 58, and one of the most prolific mask sewers.

LeFevre completed about 500 masks in the three or so weeks since the project began.

Many of the sewers are part of either the Peninsula Quilt Guild or the Senior Center’s Sewing Group. However, some like Terry McCasland, 70, simply heard about the effort and wanted to help. She was one of two people who learned to make masks on April 9 outside Cooper’s home.

Joann Fabrics and Crafts donated material for the masks. The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary also donated old uniforms to help make dark colored masks for service members. That effort is being coordinated by John Lester, a member of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary and his wife Linda Lester.

The masks are being handed out by local pharmacies, post offices and the Peninsula Senior Activity Center is giving away masks with its $10 lunches from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m on Fridays. The senior center is asking for a dollar per mask to help fund the effort. Peninsula Senior Activity Center President John Vale is helping to distribute the masks. People interested in getting lunch and a mask must make the order before noon on Thursday.

Masks were donated to employees of Jack’s Country Store, 26006 Vernon Ave, Ocean Park and Okie’s Thriftway Market, 1820 Bay Ave, Ocean Park, as well as to first responders such as firefighters with Pacific Fire District No. 1, Cooper said.

In Long Beach, Gloria Park, former president of the Peninsula Quilt Guild, is head of the effort to distribute more of the masks to people in need.

Cooper cuts the masks according to a design from the Centers for Disease Control. The project is waiting on an order of elastic needed to keep producing more masks.

Wearing a mask is recommended by the CDC when people are out in public. It is unknown how much protection homemade fabric masks provide to the person wearing the mask, and may depend on the quality of the mask and how well it fits, said Steven Krager, Pacific County health officer.

Staying home except for essential trips and remaining 6 feet away from others when in public is still the best way to be protected from covid-19, Krager said. However, non-medical masks may be used as some added protection.

People should wash their hands before putting on a mask and after taking the mask off their face, Krager said. People should try not to touch their face with unwashed hands if adjusting the mask. Masks should be changed when moist and washed after each use.

People with questions about lunch and ordering or making masks can call the senior center at 360-665-3999.

Office hours are 9 a.m. to noon everyday. People interested in making a donation to purchase mask making supplies or support the senior center’s free lunch program can send checks or drop off material to the Peninsula Senior Activity Center, 21603 O Place, Ocean Park, WA 98640.

The center asks people to specify to which program they are donating.