CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, face masks can be hard to come by.
A local family is making great strides creating as many masks as they can for first responders and the community.
The family says they make about 500 masks a day all by hand.
“We’re making them by the hundreds every day, it is nuts and it just has not slowed down," local business owner Eli Villarreal said. "It seems like the pedal is all the way down to the metal.”
Villarreal along with his wife are used to making motorcycle apparel like caps, bandannas and “Marie’s Famous Headbands.”
However, when a friend of the family asked if they could make a face mask, they gave it a shot. And from then on, ordersstarted soaring to keep the family extremely busy.
Many first responders have received a mask and some were even donated too.
“There’s a few oil companies that have bought some too, petroleum companies, hospitals, nursing homes, we made large donations as well too,” says Villarreal.
The family says having so many people stop to make an effort to stay healthy, keeps them motivated to make more masks.
“You make this for us and our safety as well and it seems like I’m going to make more for a lot of people,” says Marife Olaer of Marie’s Famous Headbands.
The masks are $10 for adults and $8 for children.
They are 100% cotton and washable.
For more information about ordering the masks, call (361) 429-3287.