By Pepper Parr
April 29th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
As the Gazette was putting together the idea of making a couple of thousand 100% cotton face masks with ties rather than elastics someone suggested we reach out to the Burlington Caremongers Facebook page.
There we found Beth Martin who built an organization that in the first week of being active, raised $2500 for Food4Kids Halton. They have been highlighting Halton charities every week. They connected community members who are in immediate need with food and necessities; their members have picked up and dropped off groceries and pharmacy orders.
Others have been making masks, scrub caps, button headbands and scrub tops for front-line healthcare workers. Several times, we have posted anonymously for community members who did not want to be identified, and have received overwhelming offers of assistance.
There are now 6,177 Caremongers serving whoever needs help.
They moved very quickly on our Face Mask initiative – we had 10 volunteers before the end of the first day.
Beth Martin with her two children.
So who is this Beth Martin?
She is the mother of two children, works at home with her husband after a number of years in book publishing for a major multi-national firm and then in advertising.
It was this collection of skills, plus a degree from Western University that taught her how to jump into the trenches and make things happen.
She had heard of a Caremongers group working out of Hamilton but they had a political bent that Martin wasn’t comfortable with.
She wanted something that would help people. Martin always uses the phrase “be kind” when she communicates with people.
When the Burlington Caremongers got going it became clear that there many different needs. Some people were looking for something; others had something to give. Martin began creating hash tags that directed conversations. #need meant you needed something; #sew meant you could sew.
It didn’t take long for a sewing group to develop; they got involved in making face masks for people in long-term care and nursing homes.
Martin put the Gazette in touch with that group.
Where will the Burlington Caremongers go from here? Wherever there is a need or someone who can help.
Martin is supported by ten people who serve as administrators of the site. With 6,000 + members they are kept busy.
It all works out wonderfully well – you just have to “be kind”.
