Mandatory Masks in Germany- Hohenfels Community Members Lead the way in Combating COVID-19

Photo By Joyce Costello | Lissa Welch displays some of the colorful masks she has been making for the Hohenfels military community. (Courtesy Photo)  

HOHENFELS, BAYERN, GERMANY

04.27.2020

Story by Spc. Audrequez Evans 

Joint Multinational Readiness Center

HOHENFELS, Germany – When COVID-19 hit the Hohenfels community the command teams sprang into action to combat this enemy. Enacting policies such as social distancing, limited personnel at work and hand washing stations at public facilities. The Soldiers at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center have not pulled any punches, remaining safe and healthy, but they are not the only ones who have taken a step above and beyond their normal duties to combat COVID-19.

The spouses at JMRC have not been resting at home while their counterparts go to battle for their health and safety every day. Instead, they have decided to arm these brave men and women with more than just loving words and warm meals. They have taken it upon themselves to provide them with masks made by their design.

"Personally, I have made 180 masks in total for individual people who have reached out,” said Lissa Welch, a member of the Mustangs critter team Family Readiness Group. “For the rest, I place out on the porch for people to pick up.”

Welch and her fellow community members have not wasted a second in the days that restrictions were placed to flatten the curve and kill the virus.

"I saw a need and decided to fill it,” said Elizabeth Goodwin, Hohenfels community member. “I had been hearing things from the community and I thought to myself let me get a pattern out and make one, then my husband said 'I see that masks are going to be mandatory for work well aren’t I lucky that I know someone who can make me one'!”.

They are not the only ones who have decided to step up and put their sewing skills to work in support of this cause. Melissa Croel, wife of the Chaplain for the Mustangs critter team had been sewing clothes for her girls for years. When the time came for her to serve, she had no problem expressing her love for the community and its Soldiers.

“I do my work to serve the Lord and no other reason the masks are a product of my service to him,” said Croel. “I love being a part of this community, serving the soldiers and the community."

She adds that the community has been a big help in letting these active members know who and how many people need masks. Paying close attention to the many Facebook pages and receiving messages they have produced over three hundred masks, but not just for the Hohenfels community.

“One of the community members had connections to Munich’s children’s hospital and they had been asking for masks so the first batch of masks that I made was in support of them,” said Welch

The recent spike in the need for masks has posed some challenges for them. Shortages of supplies being it elastic or fabric have left them unable to produce the high volumes they were accustomed to. But they have not let this deter them from coming up with crafty alternatives such as shoelaces and braided yarn. The brave souls doing the work of the community have provided several choices and options when it comes to mask design. They feel that even a mandatory thing can be a fun thing if you allow it to be.

“I think giving people the choice to choose the fabric and pattern choice is interesting in a sense that you get to understand a person’s personality and you make a mandatory thing fun,” said Welch.

With the challenges up ahead and the community remaining tightly knit JMRC can rest easy knowing that the community is behind and supporting them as we strive to flatten the curve and kill this virus.

• Date Taken: 04.27.2020
• Date Posted: 04.30.2020 04:03
• Story ID: 368652
• Location: HOHENFELS, BAYERN, DE