Every Sunday, we’re featuring a story submitted to our community-based initiative, In This Together, which collects digital records that capture personal experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“In response to the need for PPE during the COVID-19 crisis, Tanya Polsky and other moms of students at Latin School started an effort to produce and donate masks to organizations in need in Chicago. The effort, Sewing Masks for a Safe Chicago, donates high quality masks to frontline healthcare workers, emergency first responders, homeless shelters, food pantries, and other organizations in greatest need. It also supports jobs in the local community, especially in a sector hard hit by the economic impacts of COVID-19. The effort has employed up to 55 local full-time seamstresses and tailors who are making up to 5,000 high-quality cotton face masks per day. The effort has been supported by donations through a GoFundMe page with a goal of producing and donating 100,000 masks.” — Tanya Polsky, Chicago

See more stories.

Chicago, we want you to share your stories! Our community-based initiative, In This Together, seeks to collect digital records that capture personal experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. If you live in Chicago or its surrounding metropolitan area, we invite you to share your story or that of your community through content such as photographs, audio/visual recordings, and interviews. Submit your stories.