[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 215 (Friday, December 18, 2020)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1179]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              HONORING PAT RUTHERFORD AS IOWAN OF THE WEEK

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. CYNTHIA AXNE

                                of iowa

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, December 18, 2020

  Mrs. AXNE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to ask the House of 
Representatives to join me in honoring Pat Rutherford, an extraordinary 
seamstress and community volunteer, as our Iowan of the Week. Since 
March of this year, Pat has dedicated the majority of her time to 
sewing thousands of cloth face masks she gives away for free so Iowans 
can better protect themselves from COVID-19. This volunteer effort has 
now thoroughly become part of her daily life. Her dedication has not 
only inspired others to join in on the mission, but has also generated 
thousands of dollars in donations to the local food bank at a time when 
families are experiencing greater food insecurity.
  After spotting a woman in the Atlanta airport holding a tissue to her 
face because she didn't have a proper mask, Pat decided no one should 
have to resort to such measures during a global pandemic. She returned 
home and stayed busy during her precautionary quarantine by sewing 
high-quality fabric face masks people could wash and reuse. Pat put up 
a public Facebook page where community members could place orders for 
the free masks, and hundreds of requests came in the first day. It's 
been nine months since then, and the orders haven't slowed.
  For months at the beginning of her effort, Pat was purchasing all the 
necessary mask supplies and sewing equipment from her own funds and was 
doing her best to keep up with orders as a solo volunteer. She'd spend 
hours sewing in the basement each day and place completed masks on her 
front porch, publicly urging those without a good face covering to come 
to her home and take what they needed. It was an expensive and time-
consuming endeavor, but Pat was determined to keep going. Demand kept 
up and her efforts caught the attention of many, including Verlaine 
Faber and Pam West, who now spend several days each week in Pat's 
basement helping sew and keep up with new mask orders.
  As more people learned about Pat's project, neighbors began donating 
supplies to help out. People would scour garage sales and deliver boxes 
of fabric to Pat's home. Several others volunteered to help Pat, 
Verlaine, and Pam finish masks by stitching on the elastic ear loops 
and sewing pleats. And people began to leave monetary donations when 
they'd pick up their mask orders. Rather than accept the donations 
herself, Pat began donating the money to the Grimes Storehouse, the 
local food bank. The effort has generated somewhere between $7,000 and 
$10,000 in donations for the Storehouse, including $900 in Fareway 
grocery gift cards Pat just dropped off to be included in Christmas 
baskets for families in need.
  Pat estimates she and her small band of fellow volunteers have sewn 
and donated more than 5,000 masks since March. They've filled free 
orders and made donations to local nursing homes, health care 
facilities, teachers, a reservation in South Dakota, and beyond. They 
linked up with MaskHelpers.org, a website used to connect individuals 
who need masks with those who make masks, in order to expand their 
reach. They might be taking a short break for the holidays, but they 
plan to get right back at it at the start of 2021.
  Pat is very humble about her efforts this year. She's lost track of 
exactly how many masks she and her friends have made and of the exact 
dollar amount she's been able to donate to the Grimes food pantry. 
Those numbers aren't her focus, nor are the accolades she so rightly 
deserves for the huge impact she's made the last several months. All 
she wants to do is help whoever she can however she can during this 
heightened time of need. She's very grateful for all the new people 
she's been able to connect with through the project. This story is a 
beautiful example of the leadership, altruism, and community spirit 
Iowans possess. I can't thank Pat Rutherford enough for all she's done 
to help the community of Grimes, and I couldn't be happier to name her 
as Iowan of the Week.

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