Multnomah County is trying to collect at least 10,000 homemade, child-sized masks and distribute them to communities that have been disproportionately impacted by the coronavirus.
The Emergency Operations Center team is looking for 6-inch by 6-inch and 7-inch by 7-inch homemade cloth masks in unused and good condition.
The county says there is a widespread need for masks that fit children's smaller faces and offer them protection from COVID-19, especially in communities that are particularly Black, indigenous, or other communities of people of color.
Portland and Multnomah County officials are working with the emergency center to distribute the masks to those who need them most.
If you plan to make and donate masks, they should be made from two layers of tightly-woven fabric. Cotton (600 thread), Cotton and Flannel, Silk, Chiffon, or Flannel are strong options, per Oregon Health Authority guidelines. Though child-sized masks are the priority, adult masks are still needed as well.
Donations can be dropped off at the Multnomah Building, 501 S.E. Hawthorne, (use the loading dock on S.E. 6th Street) from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays or 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturdays.