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Moms, like her, were looking for supplies to sew masks. She began exercising and found things to be thankful for. Isolated at home early with her son, Hyde looked for things to pass the time – anything that she enjoyed. In fact, she describes “going down these rabbit holes” leading her to a world where “everything’s not going to be OK.” Reading about COVID-19 recently hasn’t been easy, she said. Later, she used the hobby to cope with obsessive compulsive disorder and anxiety. Growing up in Columbia, Maryland Hyde enjoyed sewing and knitting. “I felt a sense of responsibility,” Hyde explained. Through her work with families on post, Hyde knows first-hand how many kids are high-risk, she said, CYS provides programs and services for children of military and civilian families, to include child care, classes and other activities. Hyde works at Child/Youth Services, part of the garrison’s Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation directorate. “I thought, ‘well, I sew, I could make masks too,’” Hyde said.
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Hyde first donated a large amount of her own material to others working to make masks on post. The American Red Cross set up drop boxes for donated face coverings at each of the four commissaries at USAG Stuttgart. Many community members with sewing skills have begun fabricating face coverings. Department of Defense, coupled with USAG Stuttgart messages, highlight face coverings as a best practice during the coronavirus, or COVID-19, outbreak – especially for the high-risk populations. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. “I basically had two closets worth of fabric and elastic from over the years,” said Hyde, describing her treasure trove of craft supplies, accumulated from her 15-year sewing hobby. As it turns out, Hyde was sitting on a gold mine. Hyde recently saw a fellow military spouse asking for elastic – apparently, she was unable to find the material online or in stories. Army Garrison Stuttgart these days, Erin Hyde has been at home, watching Facebook group posts on the new coronavirus.
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Erin Hyde, a military spouse and CYS employee, makes face coverings (photo contributed)