Masks of Love
The Masks of Love Initiative Has Ended
We have reached our budget for the project and have generated the number of masks we set out to create.
We want to thank everyone who inquired and participated in this initiative.
To Read More About What the Masks of Love Initiative Was, Watch and Read More Below
The COVID-19 pandemic has threatened our health and our economy. During this crisis, an ever-growing number of workers have had their employment terminated and as a result face an uncertain financial future.
Adding to the difficulty is the fact that healthcare workers and other essential service providers are facing a shortfall with respect to Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), including protective masks.
To address both concerns, VanDerGinst Law is spearheading a community initiative called Masks of Love.
The firm has set aside an initial amount of $10,000 to fund the project. Anyone who is currently unemployed and facing financial difficulty may request to participate in this endeavor. VanDerGinst Law will supply the materials to make the masks and will also pay one dollar per mask for a total of up to $500 per person.
The idea is to commission as many people as possible to make masks for those who need them the most.
A recent article in the Quad-City Times featured Chris Wegscheid, a Minnesota architect originally from the Quad Cities who has developed a protective mask to assist in fighting the spread of COVID-19. Instructions for making the masks can be found on Wegscheid’s website, https://www.wegscheid.works/ .
These “Moo Masks” — so dubbed because they resemble a cow’s nose — are made with a filter fabric and other commonly found supplies and feature a design that does not require any sewing.
The fabric used in Wegscheid’s design is made of a polyester that has a Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV) of 11, which arrests about 95% of virus particles down to 0.3 microns. A cotton mask only arrests about 60-70% of virus particles. Thus far, delivery drivers, social workers, and nurses at North Memorial Health Hospital in Robbinsdale, MN, have used the Moo Masks.
While these masks are not the same quality as N95 or other masks that have been approved by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), they may offer some degree of protection for those persons who are more exposed than others in this fight against COVID-19.
The need for protective equipment is growing, and until another alternative is found, the Moo Mask appears to be a quick, easy, and inexpensive solution. Wegscheid estimates that up to a dozen masks can be made in one hour; 500 masks can easily be accomplished during a typical work week.
To qualify for payment, the masks must be made using the method outlined on Wegscheid’s website, with materials provided by VanDerGinst Law.
VanDerGinst Law will then donate the masks to those in need such as hospital and other healthcare workers, first responders, delivery workers, grocery store workers, and anyone else identified as an “essential” worker via relevant order in Illinois and/or Iowa.
Since participation in this endeavor is likely to be overwhelming, it is the hope of VanDerGinst Law that other businesses will join in this effort and provide further financing for this project.
Thank You For All Who Inquired and Participated.
Stay Healthy and Stay Safe!
DISCLAIMER: Neither the use of the Moo Mask, nor use of the materials provided by VanDerGinst Law and the design outlined for the construction of the Moo Mask at www.Wegscheid.works have been tested, certified, or approved by the CDC, NIOSH, and OSHA, nor any government, industry, medical, scientific nor professional source normally relied upon for safety and efficacy concerns. Use of the Moo Mask is at the user’s own risk and all users or distributors who are provided Moo Masks through the efforts contemplated herein shall be required to sign an acknowledgment and waiver of all liability.