The spirit of inclusiveness that engendered the shared space is personified in the work going on.
While a 3-D printer hums along 24/7, seamstresses with military backgrounds are hard at work making face masks for distribution to nursing homes, classrooms, medical clinics and elsewhere.
The Coronavirus Relief Operation is inside the Buda VFW Hall but as banners on the wall proclaim, the space is also being used by the American Legion and AMVets — the three organizations that make up the Buda VSO Alliance (Veterans Service Organizations Alliance). Those at work without personal military experience come from military families, and their dedication is easy to see. They’ve been at it 12 hours a day, six days a week since mid-March and had as of late last week produced in excess of 6,000 masks.
U.S. Rep. Chip Roy stopped in on May 7 and as of that time, the operation had:
• Logged 3,852 man hours
• Produced 6,330 face masks
• 3-D printed 3,863 ear relief surgical mask extenders.
In an assembly line-like process, fabric is cut, then sewn into squares and made into masks fashioned with either straps or plastic “extenders” being made in the 3-D printer. That, they say, is easier on the ears than elastic and can be produced in different sizes to more comfortably fit different-sized heads.
In addition to filling requests from hospitals, school districts, medical clinics and first responders, they will even deliver masks and hand sanitizers to individuals who call and ask. The project is in partnership with Spectrum, which supplied the 3-D printer and the hand sanitizer. “Everybody here is either a veteran or a military spouse — a 30-year Army veteran, a 20-year Army veteran,” Cassandra Melgar- C’DeBaca says as she gestures to people around the room. “Everybody is affiliated with the military community,” she added, “although we also have some civilians that come in and help.”
The operation kind of grew out of art therapy in which things like purses and quilts were produced. Many of those line the walls, and a space is set aside for just-sprouted Hatch chili pepper plants bound for transplant into home gardens.
No one has any intention of stopping. “We’re going to keep going while the demand is there,” Melgar-C’DeBaca said. “We’re not giving up because we know as things are opening we might see an increase in the need. We’re not slowing down anytime soon.”
Bruce White, executive director of the Buda VSO Alliance, said the visit with Roy went well. “Hopefully we will get some traction to continue to help people,” he said.
The organization is also running a food bank and donations from the community are gratefully accepted. The Buda VFW is located at 100 Houston Street.
