The following was submitted by Zina Soltis, Community Engagement & Outreach Coordinator at Family Health/La Clinica.

Many people in the workforce have been displaced due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but our healthcare workers are fighting on to ensure that all get the care they need. Family Health La Clinica is doing what we can to protect our clinic teams from exposure to the virus, but personal protective equipment is in short supply around the world. If you would like to help, please consider making handmade fabric masks to donate to our facility to help keep our staff safe for the duration.

Of course we hope we won’t have to resort to these measures, but are doing our best to be prepared for what may come. Your donation truly means everything in this moment. For more information on the mask pattern we are accepting, along with an instructional video, please visit our website at www.famhealth.com. If you have questions, please contact our COVID-19 Resource/Support Line at 920-787-9450.

Donations will be accepted at any of our five locations from 8am-5pm Monday through Friday: 400 S Townline Rd in Wautoma, 880 Herriot Dr in Mauston, 207 S University Ave in Beaver Dam, 302 W Lake St in Friendship, and 3504 E Maria Dr in Stevens Point. We ask that all masks be laundered prior to donating to avoid potential contamination. Please wash on your appliance’s hot wash cycle and use the hottest dry cycle, then put the masks immediately into a clean garbage bag.

If you would like to help but are unable to assemble homemade masks, please consider a tax-deductible monetary donation in support of healthcare workers local to your Central Wisconsin community. Any amount helps and would be greatly appreciated. If you’re interested in donating to Family Health La Clinica Community Health Center, please contact Laura Waldvogel, CEO, at 1-920-787-5514 x290 or Lisa Kilawee, Director of Strategic Community Engagement, 1-920-787-5514 x251.