Rep. Mike Levin Honors Local Face Mask Sewing Group Founder as his Constituent of the Month
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Mike Levin (D-CA) announced that local San Diego Face Mask Sewing Group Founder Michelle Harvey is the Constituent of the Month. A resident of Vista in California’s 49th Congressional District, Michelle coordinated the donation of around 50,000 masks to hospitals, charities, and community members across San Diego County in an effort to help reduce the spread of coronavirus.
Rep. Levin is currently holding a Homemade Mask Contest to support creative masks and keep people safe. Participants have until September 24 to enter their submissions.
See below for Rep. Levin’s statement recognizing Michelle Harvey in the Congressional Record:
“Madam Speaker, it is my honor to recognize Michelle Harvey, founder of the San Diego Face Mask Sewing Group, a Facebook community page dedicated to sewing face masks for donation. Now more than ever, as we continue addressing this unprecedented health crisis, it is on all of us to do our part in stopping the spread of COVID-19. With this in mind, Michelle Harvey found herself getting to work behind the family sewing machine.
“Ms. Harvey discovered her newly found sewing abilities when her friend, an ICU nurse at Tri-City Medical Center in Oceanside, informed her the hospital would begin taking mask donations. In hopes of providing face masks for as many essential workers as possible, Michelle reached out to others who would be interested in helping her cause, and found an overwhelming amount of volunteers. From there, the now 1,800 member San Diego Face Mask Sewing Group took off.
“Providing members of our community with a face mask is one of the easiest and most effective ways to slow the spread. So far, with the unwavering support of her mask-making group, Michelle coordinated the donation of around 50,000 masks to hospitals, charities, and community members across San Diego County. In an effort to ensure all followers are covered, The San Diego Face Mask Sewing Group also offers tutorials for people to create their own mask from scratch without ever having to leave their homes.
“I launched a Constituent of the Month program to recognize individuals who have gone above and beyond to make our region and our country a stronger place for everyone to live and thrive. Today, I am proud to recognize Ms. Harvey as my Constituent of the Month, and I thank her for being a leader and role model in helping our community collectively work together to both protect our frontline workers and helping to stop the spread of COVID-19.”
Representative Levin’s Constituent of the Month program recognizes outstanding North County San Diego and South Orange County Residents who have gone above and beyond to help their neighbors, give back to their community, and make the country stronger. Levin’s Constituent of the Month for August was Darnell “DeeJay” Johnson, a community leader, racial justice activist and local high school football coach. His July Constituent of the Month was Dr. Cheryl Anderson, founding dean for the Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science at University of California San Diego, and the first Black female dean in the 60-year history of the campus.
To nominate a resident of the 49th District to be the Constituent of the Month, fill out this nomination form.
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