A Thunder Bay woman is surprised by the response after she started offering free fabric face masks to those in need.
With more people wearing fabric masks to help stop the spread of COVID-19, Felicia Urbanski recently started sewing some for her family and neighbours.
She hung up around 50 more in a tree outside her south-side home along with a heart-shaped sign. The Thunder Bay resident took pictures of the tree and gave them to her granddaughter, who shared them on social media.
“I gave the picture to my granddaughter around 3:30, and by 5:30, they were all gone, nothing left. People were just coming and taking a couple, whatever they needed,” Urbanski says.
Urbanski says she put the masks up for anyone who needs one, after federal health officials said wearing one can help protect those around you.
Providing masks is “my way of helping,” she says.
The tree in her yard across from Victoria Park was still out of masks by Sunday, but Urbanski says people have hung up their own message for her.
“There’s a sign on my tree saying the Thunder Bay community thanks me for everything I’ve done,” she explains, adding some people have also donated elastic so she can make more.
With the forecast predicting rain and snow in the next few days, the Thunder Bay woman adds the tree will stay empty until the weather clears up, but she plans to re-stock it.
