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NILES — When Amy Krueger Archer shared on social media she was sewing face masks, she knew she wanted to do something meaningful to help her community through the COVID-19 pandemic. What she did not know was that her kind gesture would be so catching — locally and across state lines.

Medical facilities have begun to feel the strain on supplies and manpower as COVID-19 affects the region. According to the Berrien County Health Department, there are reportedly 35 positive cases of COVID-19 in Berrien County, with one death. In Cass County, there are four reported cases and one reported death. Across the state line in Indiana’s St. Joseph County, there are currently 49 reported positive cases.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend an N95 mask to effectively protect wearers from exposure to bacteria and viruses such as COVID-19.

In the wake of personal protection equipment shortages, the CDC has made allowances for healthcare professionals to wear face coverings like homemade masks and scarves, in an effort to provide a barrier, even one that is not proven effective.

Currently working from home, Amy Krueger Archer is the principal’s secretary at Howard Elementary during the day. She felt a pull to give more back with her time available when she finished her work.

“It felt like being cooped up,” she said. “The teachers are doing so much to engage the kids and keep in contact with them.”

Archer wanted to find a way to give back in her own way. That is when she learned about the need for masks. Archer’s friend Amy Moore, a medical professional in the area, also saw the need to extend the life of the N95 masks. She reached out to Archer for help.

“She was more than willing,” Moore said. “I shared my pattern with her, and dropped off cut fabric pieces to her. We did porch drop-off to maintain our social distancing, and she went to work. I, too, sewed from home on my days off.”

While acting on her own willingness to help and not on orders from an employer, Moore said making masks gave her a way to help in her free time.

“In a time where most of us feel like things are out of our control, this gave us a purposeful thing to do to help others,” Moore said.

While she has not used one of the hand-made mask covers personally, she finds it good to be prepared.

Archer quickly found that the demand for masks, and mask covers, exceeded what she originally imagined.

“I started sewing them, and then I realized how many people were in need,” Archer said. “I have been very grateful. I have run out of fabric, and elastic is a huge shortage, so I’ve resorted to using elastic headbands.”

She has received materials donations and assistance in keeping up with the demand, but also requests for the pattern that she is working from, so others that sew can join the effort.

She has had requests from as far away as South Carolina for the pattern.

Pam Lagen, a healthcare worker and long-time friend of Archer’s, reached out about masks when she realized what her fellow professionals were facing.

Lagen currently works at Azura Vascular Care in Mishawaka, but had previously worked with St. Joseph Medical Center for more than 20 years. She continues to keep in touch with former co-workers and friends.

After mentioning Archer’s sewing efforts to one of these friends still within the St. Joseph Medical Center in Mishawaka, they informed her of the dire need of barriers.

“The hospitals in the Saint Joseph system, and the surrounding physicians, there aren’t enough masks for them,” Lagen said. “They’re literally giving each staff member one mask, and that’s your mask. You have to watch over it, take care of it.”

Lagen decided to see if she could connect resources from her home, as she  has been self-quarantined after traveling from Mexico.

“I reached out to Amy [Archer], and she said ‘I could have them done for you tomorrow,’” Lagen said. “I expected her to say maybe next week. She’s just been cranking them out. By the next day, she provided me with 20 masks. They specifically were earmarked for the physicians network at Saint Joseph Medical Center in Mishawaka.”

Lagen connected the physicians with face mask covers that are designed to fit over an N95 mask.

“They fit beautifully over an N95 [mask],” Lagen said. “It’s nice because it’s washable, so if anything gets splattered on it, you’ve protected your N95.”

By the end of Tuesday, Archer will have completed 200 masks. Her Facebook page, Knit Wit, has become the central point for requests. Her daughter put together a Google form for those requesting masks to fill out.

Archer has said that when she was tired from making masks, Lagen’s comments helped motivate her to keep working.

After receiving Lagen’s order for 20 masks, Archer responded that she would get them done as soon as she could.

“[Lagen] responded with, ‘you know, you are saving lives,’” Archer said.

Others who sew have joined the effort in sewing masks and mask covers, including Mica Yonker, owner of Oh My LLC in downtown Niles.

After closing her shop due to state mandates that take heavy precautions towards the COVID-19 threat, Yonker has transitioned her efforts to sewing and donating masks to those who need them to work.

“We are making masks around the clock and donating them to healthcare frontline workers,” Yonker said.

On March 26, Oh My LLC posted a short tutorial on how to make masks to its Facebook so others could join the effort.