In an effort to prevent the further spread of the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) and keep personnel and their families safe and healthy, the Navy recently released NAVADMIN 100/20 which requires all individuals on Department of Defense property, installations, and facilities to wear cloth face coverings when they cannot maintain six feet of physical distance. Unfortunately, the increase in demand worldwide over the past few months has made it difficult for all people, including members of the Naval Support Activity (NSA) Naples community, to find and purchase a mask in order to adhere to this new policy.
For some in the community, the answer was simple: Make the masks.
A number of community members with a talent for sewing set to work filling this emergent need - making masks for service members, civilians, and local national employees working on board NSA Naples. These self-starting groups of volunteers are a tribute to the strength of the entire military community here in Naples, Italy.
“It is very difficult for people, in general, to get masks at this time,” said volunteer Dr. Moriah Eustice, a member of the NSA Naples community. “Thus, we are working to provide an essential item that we hope will benefit the health and safety of our community.”
Dr. Eustice has worked in lab settings and is well-acquainted with mask wearing – she struggled to find masks herself, and some of her friends in the U.S. made masks for her. Knowing that many in Naples may not have that option, she and a group of friends took action.
“The community needs to stay healthy and service members must be mission ready,” said volunteer Erin Spilker. “With the new regulations regarding face coverings inside buildings such as the Navy Exchange, Commissary, and Post Office, the entry of patrons is restricted by their ability to access a mask.”
While the country of Italy is on lock down, many are stuck in their houses feeling helpless. Volunteering provides people with the opportunity to take an active role in the health and welfare of the NSA Naples community; it provides people with a sense of purpose and belonging.
“The benefits are two-fold,” said Eustice. “For the volunteers, being able to provide masks to the community helps us to feel useful at a time when many of us are feeling powerless. We are also helping those that receive the masks not only feel like they are cared for but also helping to keep them safe.”
NSA Naples is an operational ashore base that enables U.S. allied, and partner nation forces to be where they are needed, when they are needed to ensure security and stability in Europe, Africa, and Southwest Asia.
For more news about NSA Naples and the Sailors who serve aboard the installation, please follow us on Instagram @NSANaples and Facebook at facebook.com/NSANaples/.
| Date Taken: | 04.17.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 04.17.2020 03:07 |
| Story ID: | 367646 |
| Location: | NAPLES, IT |
| Web Views: | 48 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, NSA Naples Community Members Make Masks, by PO1 Donavan K Patubo, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
