Engaging with Community and Organisations
Sanctuary Masks - Protecting the Most Vulnerable
The Sanctuary Masks Initiative is an initiative by women living in direct provision centres to help themselves and other vulnerable people living in the community, in response to COVID19.
The initiative is spearheaded by BetterTogether and the Cork Migrant Centre at Nano Nagle Place, with the support of the UCC University of Sanctuary and UCC Feminist Society and Fáilte Refugees Society. Sanctuary Masks recruits women living in Direct Provision Centres to produce hygiene masks to distribute to residents in Direct Provision, the elderly in nursing homes and other vulnerable groups.
As well as accepting donations of materials like thread and facbric scissors, the initittiave has a GoFundMe page, where people can make a donation to support the project.
An inspiring intitiative, the story has been covered widely including by the Irish Global health Network here, Yay Cork here, in the Irish Times here, in the Irish Examiner here, on Joe.ie here, and by RTE here.
Meet Doria.
— Sanctuary Mask Initiative (@SanctuaryMask) April 22, 2020
Doria is one of our seamstresses here at SMI.
Doria's message to all is to:
"practise #SocialDistancing #washhands #stayhome & #keepsafe"
You may have seen her on RTE's Jennie O' Sullivan's Twitter.
We love Doria's message so much & had to share it again. pic.twitter.com/MkCmvdoeM7
Through the Cork Migrant Centre, the initative has also engaged artists as youth mentors and younger people in direct provision.
#Stilltheyrise from Hiphop to Technovation, CMC youth mentored by @StevieGrainger @thatDancetweet @corkprintmakers did this artwork for the masks that some of their mummies are making for us @SanctuaryMask. Thanks to our judges @NanoNaglePlace @corkcitycouncil @corkprintmakers pic.twitter.com/15stU1K5ZX
— CorkMigrantCentre (@CorkMigrant) April 18, 2020