CHICAGO — Volunteer stitchers in the New York City area, as many as 300, have been given the go-ahead by local officials to start making non-surgical gowns for healthcare use, says Bruce Barish, owner of Winzer Cleaners in New York City and one of the originators of the program idea.
Volunteers will pickup fabric at distribution points located in various locations around and in New York City and bring the raw materials back to their homes to stitch together garments that can be used by healthcare in a variety of ways, Barish notes.
“One of the owners of a studio in Times Square, Jeff Whiting, has been serving as the coordinator of this program,” Winzer relates.
“The goal is to make about 2,500 garments per day for healthcare workers, nurses, patients, whoever needs them,” Winzer adds.
The program got the go-ahead from state and local officials on Tuesday, April 7, and stitchers immediately began to pickup materials and start stitching the gowns back at their homes, he says.
Barish notes there are distribution points throughout the five boroughs of New York City and finished garments will be brought back, where they will be sent on to hospitals in need in the area.
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