Waynesburg resident Ben McMillen isn’t letting the COVID-19 shutdown stop him from staying busy and serving his community.
Ben operates two small businesses in Greene County – McMillen Photography and Hilltop Packs, which produces ultralight backpacking equipment. When his photography business was affected by the shutdown and sales from the backpacking company dropped by 80%, Ben suddenly had a lot of available time on his hands. Instead of taking the time off to ride out the closures and limitations, Ben saw a need in the community that he could meet, thanks to his equipment at Hilltop Packs: producing reusable masks.
At first, it was just Ben and his family involved in the Masks for Greene County PA project. The family owns five sewing machines and they quickly got to work producing masks. But within just a few days, the workload demanded more than they could deliver. “It was clear that we would need more volunteers,” Ben says. “We now have well over 20 people producing masks.”
Volunteers not involved in producing the masks have also jumped in to donate materials, sewing machines, monetary donations, and delivery drivers so that the project could continue moving forward as the need for masks increased, especially once the CDC announced that everyone should wear masks to protect others.
Among the more than 70 people and business owners who have donated, Waynesburg business Direct Results has repurposed their embroidery machines to assist in producing masks for Greene County. “We’re thrilled to be able to assist Ben McMillen and Hilltop Packs to provide this service to our community,” says Pam Marisa of Direct Results.
The masks are not N95, but the dual layer cotton masks are one of the only available options. The masks are being delivered all over Greene County, to those in essential businesses, high-risk individuals, and others that request them via the Hilltop Packs site. Production continues on with no signs of slowing. “Our goal is to reach anyone who lives in or works in Greene County that needs a mask and make sure that they receive one free of charge.”
To get the masks where they need to go, Ben coordinates with local volunteers and organizations to serve as delivery drivers. As of right now, they have more than ten volunteer drivers helping deliver masks on the weekends. “The Greene County Sheriff’s Office has been amazing, helping during the week and delivering masks during their regular routes.”
“As of April 13th, we just passed 4000 masks and 3500 of those are already delivered or on their way,” Ben shares. “We still have another 3000 to 4000 mask orders to fill. We expect that to keep growing until the virus is under control.” He adds, “We won’t stop until it’s over.”
The masks are provided for free to those that request a mask. To request a mask, please visit hilltoppacks.com/masks.html. To keep up with the many updates the ever-growing list of volunteers and donations, you can also visit Hilltop Packs on Facebook at @hilltoppacks.
“So many amazing people are helping us keep this project free to Greene County residents,” Ben shares. “I learned that when asked Greene County residents are willing to step up in a big way. I’m very proud of our community.”