REcreate Designs lends a hand in making masks

A little over three weeks ago, owner of REcreate Designs in Polson Carol Lynn Lapotka saw an increasing need for face masks in the community.

A friend who is a nurse reached out to her asking if she could make masks, and after a couple prototypes she switched her production effort from creating unique, upcycled clothing items to making the personal protection equipment.

“We do have a commercial sewing facility here basically, so we’re set up to make anything,” Lapotka said. “So we just kind of shifted to mask making because that’s what was needed right now. Eventually we’ll shift back to making what we usually make, which is adult and children’s clothing…”

When she began this sewing mission, the need was just mostly for hospitals, first responders and other essential workers. However soon after beginning production, the CDC altered its guidelines and requested that all people wear masks when outside of their homes. This changed Lapotka’s original plan and she set her shop up to prepare for a larger mass production.

“It started off as kind of a grassroots effort, community driven effort, and then the need just kind of escalated for other individuals,” she said.

Sewing supplies is in high demand presently, so she began ordering materials right away. Lapotka’s original mission was to make over 3,000 masks for local and regional essential workers.

“I knew I couldn’t sew that many by myself, so I got lots of people involved,” she explained.

She and her employees began making kits, which involves washing, cutting and serging the fabric. Then they assemble the fabric and other supplies, such as elastic, into kits for people who wish to donate to organizations but do not have all the materials on hand.

The first week she gave out over 1,000 masks worth of supplies and since has provided more than 5,000 sets of materials in the kits to volunteer sewers who sign up via a form on the shop’s website. After the masks are made, volunteers can either donate on their own or return them to the REcreate Designs shop for Lapotka to give out.

“If someone wants to make masks to give to local community members, they don’t have to (pay anything)…” Lapotka explained. “If they want to donate they can, but there’s no upfront cost except their time.”

One of the main organizations she is donating masks to is St. Luke’s Community Healthcare in Ronan. In addition to the completed products, Lapotka is also supplying them with elastic for the people who are already making masks in house.

A shortage of elastic has been a huge problem for those wishing to help, but Lapotka has managed to get enough from her suppliers. She said she has already used 30 rolls of elastic for both finished products and kits, and has 10 more rolls on hand. Each roll makes approximately 400 masks, therefore she has and will supply elastic for nearly 16,000 masks.

Lapotka has donated to many organizations in the area, some of these include the Boys and Girls Club, Montana Service for Aging, many doctors offices, first responders, post offices, law enforcement personnel, tribal officers and schools. She is also trying to work with people at St. Joseph Medical Center, however their protocols are different than most since they are part of the Providence corporation.

In addition to donating, the small business owner is now selling masks for personal use on her website as well. And although this is not her ideal situation, she’d rather be creating beautiful clothing for a hopefully busy summer season, she’s glad to be helping the greater cause.

“I’ve been working non-stop…” Lapotka said. “This is not something I would usually be doing with my business, but definitely saw a need and pivoted where I could pivot. And happy to do so for the next couple of weeks.”

Many residents have donated to her efforts, whether it was money, fabric or time, and people can still donate in any way possible. But Lapotka said a huge way for the community to support her is just to simply shop locally at her business in the future.

“That’s kind of our phrase, when all this is over, just continue to support local businesses..” she said.

Reporter Whitney England may be reached at 758-4419 or wengland@leaderadvertiser.com