Welcome to the first installment of Arett’s Success Stories.
Arett Sales is bringing you success stories from the field to inspire hope, creativity, and community.
Last week, we had the pleasure of speaking with Amelia Post, Arett’s salesperson covering the Michigan market. According to an April 24 article by U.S. News and World Report, Michigan is one of the states hit hardest by COVID-19, with a death toll exceeded only by New York and New Jersey. They have also had some of the most severe restrictions for residents and businesses – although garden centers and beginning to reopen.
To help her community in these trying times, Amie is sewing face masks at home and distributing them to friends, family, Arett customers, and anyone else who needs one – free of charge.
Amie was inspired to make masks by her daughter-in-law Ashley, a Registered Nurse in Michigan. Facing severe shortages of medical masks, Ashley reached out to Amie asking if she could make just a few cloth masks for her and her co-workers. Amie gathered supplies, including a special scent-lock fabric that is impenetrable to breath particles, and got to work.
The first package for Ashley and her co-workers included 25 masks. As Amie humbly admitted, she tends to be “one of those people” who always wants to do what she can to help her community. Plus, she “loves to sew,” and, for many years, sewed her children’s clothes and Halloween costumes. Now about three and a half weeks into the project, Amie’s mask count is over 225. She sews in the evenings and on the weekends and says she can produce about 8 masks per hour.
After distributing masks to healthcare workers, Amie began reaching out to her Arett customers, many of whom are open for curbside pick-up and delivery. Amie has made masks and taken orders from at least a dozen businesses including garden centers, hardware stores, feeds stores, grocery stores, and even the county sheriff’s office! When asked how it makes her feel to supply masks to her community, Amie said, “I absolutely love it – it helps the community, it helps out people who really need it. [These masks are] something that people need right now, and that need can be filled by people who can stay at home – and can have fun with it!”
If you or someone you know are in need of masks, you can reach Amie at her Arett email. Donations for supplies are welcome but not required.
apost@arett.com
