Tryon Palace Helps Healthcare Heroes by Making and Donating Masks

Leslie Lambrecht

New Bern, NC – Leslie Lambrecht, Tryon Palace’s Historic Costumer is using her time in self quarantine to provide masks to healthcare workers during the shortage that they are facing with the COVID-19 pandemic. To date, she and her Costume Shop volunteers have made and donated 104 masks.

When Lambrecht learned healthcare workers were accepting handmade mask donations, she immediately set to work. Using scrap fabric from the Tryon Palace Costume Shop and her home sewing machine, Lambrecht began creating masks. She enlisted the help of two Costume Shop volunteers, Rob Lehman and Rebecca Seeger. Already, Lambrecht and her volunteers have donated masks to the Radiology and Orthopedic Surgeon offices and staff at CarolinaEast Health System, as well as the Craven County Dialysis Center.

Lambrecht is proud to organize this project on behalf of Tryon Palace and her talented volunteers. “I’m just glad I have a skill that is useful during this time,” she said. “I love how this community comes together in times of crisis.”
Cloth face masks are not approved for clinical work, but other employees benefit from them. “The CDC recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain,” said Kara Chadwick, Volunteer Services Manager at CarolinaEast. “We have had a most gracious outpouring of support from our community sewers and over 2,000 handmade masks have been donated. We are providing  these to our employees so they are better protected when outside of their work environment.” said Chadwick.

If other sewers in the community wish to get involved and donate masks, they can reach Kara directly. She recommends the Deaconess Face Mask Pattern. She can be reached directly at kchadwick@carolinaeasthealth.com.

Submitted by: Zaneta Padilla, Tryon Palace Media Contact