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Jennie Ben-Dayan, known on Facebook as "Maui Mask Lady," has been busy sewing hundreds of fabric masks from morning to night since March 22 at her studio in Makawao.
"I don't even know what day it is," the out-of-work licensed nail technician said jokingly Thursday afternoon. Since March 22, she has sewn more than 300 masks and given them out for free.
She has prioritized who she is handing out masks to: the highest priority are essential workers and first responders; then senior citizens and those with compromised immune systems; followed by the general public.
Ben-Dayan has accepted donations to cover supplies and shipping; she may mail some masks to those who do not want to venture out of their homes. Some of the money goes to her electric bill with her sewing machine running more than 12 hours a day.
"I have at least another 300 ordered now as well, and my pipeline is booming," she said Thursday afternoon.
Ben-Dayan also has made an instructional video on how to make the masks. The video has been viewed more than 1,000 times from folks all over the world. She also has done some FaceTime tutoring for anyone who may have trouble making the masks.
The nail tech closed down her "Nails by Jennie Bee" operation even before orders for business closures took effect March 22 because she knew social distancing needed to happen. Her husband, a manager at Fun Factory, also is out of work. She is grateful for the donations to cover the supplies for the masks, which come in a variety of fabrics.
Ben-Dayan said she began making the masks because she knew there were shortages. She eventually made her own design that cups nicely around the face.
She started her Maui Mask Lady Facebook page because she couldn't keep track of orders by text.
"It's exploded from there," she said. "I wanted to help people feel less scared, and it helps make me feel some control over a very unsure situation.
"The comments I've gotten back show people feel safer with a mask and that makes my day."
* Melissa Tanji can be reached at mtanji@mauinews.com.