So frustrated.

[SchoolNurse91]

My admin is saying that I -have- to find face masks. I’ve found sites selling them for around $25 for 50. They said it’s too expensive. I’m about to cry from the frustration. I told them I cannot find them. They’re on back order and no one knows when they’ll be in stock. “We’re running out and we need to have them.”

[FullGlass, BSN, MSN, NP]

As others have suggested, work with the PTA. It should be easy to perform outreach through them and social media, like the school's facebook page. Ask for volunteers to form a sewing brigade to make masks for free or very low cost.

Even 5th and 6th graders can be taught simple sewing - I have been sewing since 3rd grade. It would be a great crafts project for them - teach them how to sew and have each of them make a mask for themselves. If your school has an art teacher, talk to them about this, or to some receptive teachers.

Another source could be local churches. Many people, especially retired people, do a lot of volunteer work for their church. Reach out to some pastors and see if they could organize a sewing circle for your school.

Also, try ethnic grocery and home goods stores. For example, I live in Sacramento, which has a very large Korean community. The Korean stores have face masks (made in Korea) and masks from China (cheaper). They also have plenty of toilet paper (from Korea). Korean products are generally very high quality (I'm half-Korean).
The Surgeon General put out a video on how to make a face mask without sewing. Just Google "how to make face mask without sewing" and there are tons of videos and articles.

Best wishes.

[ohiobobcat]

Another option is to check with you state school nurse consultant and see if your state is doing anything to help supply schools with PPE. Cloth face coverings are what is recommended for most people when social distancing cannot be maintained. So you might want a smaller supply of surgical/procedural masks for your nursing staff and larger supply of cloth face coverings for everyone else.

[JenTheSchoolRN, BSN, RN]

Do you have any families in your district willing to make them?

(Been away from the board for a bit, so now catching up.)

I did an order from Custom Ink - we ordered 2x the size of student/staff population to start. But, we are now looking at washing mask issues as we know families don't always have washing machine access, etc.

But we are allow thinking about reaching out to our families/communities for help in making more if needed. (I've gotten pretty good at it myself using old clothing fabric and hair ties and my trusty Kenmore sewing machine.)

Full disclosure - I'm lucky. I've been told I can have the money, though right now I'm spending funds from this year's budget as next year will be super, super, tight.

Has your state offered any funding to your school for COVID improvements/needs? Turns out MA has (!) and we are using it now to put in extra sinks, order masks, look at tech needs, and prepare for other overwhelming social distance needs. But I know every state is different...