Gig Harbor nurse is a one-woman mask factory; she’s made and shipped 4,271

A stitch in time saves nine, the saying goes, but a busy Gig Harbor seamstress might be said to have saved more than four thousand.

That’s how many virus-fighting face masks Nicole Strader has made and distributed free, literally around the world, since the coronavirus pandemic began.

Nicole Strader, a 52-year-old Gig Harbor resident with a degree in nursing, wanted to protect those who have no choice but to come in contact with others. Strader created her own three-layered face mask, and within 50 days she has distributed 4,271 free masks to local, national, and international organizations and people in need.

She calls her effort Hero Hems — a reference, not to her, but to the frontline workers who wear her creations.

“There are so many people putting their lives on the line,” said Strader, who is not currently working. “By nature, as a nurse, I wanted to help and this has allowed me to help as much people as possible.”

Strader purchases materials each week, and makes anywhere from 100 to 200 masks a day. Then Strader, her husband, Kent Strader, or her daughter, Cheyenne Freeman, take them to the post office, where they’re sent to those who have asked for them.

“When I told people I could get them 150 masks today or tomorrow, they didn’t believe me at first,” Strader said.

The front of the masks are made with cotton material, and the back uses a microfiber backing, which blocks dust and bacteria. The third layer is filtration material, and they are topped off with comfortable t-shirt ties to go around ones neck or ears.

“Six weeks ago I was reading recipe books, now I read articles about filtration efficacy. “ Strader said.

Hospital asked for help

This all began when colleagues at St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way, where Freeman works as an ER nurse, asked Strader to help make masks, as they were running short.

“They sent me a mask pattern, and I realized from a nursing background that they didn’t fit well, and as for construction, it took a lot of time to construct,” Strader said. “I went back to the drawing board and designed my own mask.

“When I started this, I was just going to do masks for my daughter’s ER department,” Strader said. “Word got out, and it went viral.”

Strader said 70 percent of her masks have gone to organizations, and 30 percent have gone to individuals. She has sent masks everywhere imaginable, from local Gig Harbor residents to military people in Poland.

“I had a funeral home reach out to me from Texas,” she added. “They didn’t have masks to take care of the victims, so I provided masks for all of the employees there.”

Church is beneficiary

One organization which has used the masks is St. John’s Episcopal Church, where Strader is a member.

The Rev. Eric Stelle, the rector, said the masks are extremely comfortable and work well.

“All the other homemade ones I’ve seen are single-layered and hers are tripled layered. These are doing a good job of what they should do, and they are comfortable,” Stelle said.

Stelle said he has known Strader for three years, and respects her compassion.

“I have sometimes called on her to be a companion to people struggling,” Stelle said. “She is wise, compassionate, and understands humans. When she responded to the virus, it didn’t surprise me at all, but it sure made me proud.”

On Facebook, the Hero Hems page has a 5-star review. One comment reads “Very innovative design. Thank you for all of your hard work, Nikki, and for your kindness to others.”

Clever design

Carol Waters, a Kiwanis Club member, said Strader has designed her masks in an extremely clever way, showing Strader put a ton of thought into them.

“They have an N95 filter, which means it’s 95-percent effective against airborne particles,” Waters said. “They are constructed in a way where you can remove the filter and wash the mask, so they can be re-used.”

Waters added that Strader, who has recently joined the Kiwanis Club, has given masks to any Kiwanis member who reaches out.

Although the masks are free, Strader accepts monetary and material donations to provide her the funds to continue assisting those who need it.

Strader said the most meaningful moments for her have been the connections she has made with people, and the stories she has heard.

Strader shared a moment when a woman called her, and hesitantly asked for four masks. After speaking with the woman, Strader learned she had a son with disabilities, and needed the masks to protect herself, her husband, her son, and the nurses who assist them.

“I told her I would send her eight to 10 masks to always have a mask at hand while some go through the laundry, and she started crying,” Strader said.

For more information on Hero Hems, visit https://www.facebook.com/pg/herohems/reviews/?ref=page_internal.