No part of the world has been unaffected by the COVID-19 pandemic. As the virus progresses more parts of the world are adopting the use of face masks to slow infections. For many, though, making or purchasing a mask is not a simple task. Seeing this need, many churches have labored to supply masks to their communities.

Read on for some of their stories. 

In Ghana, Nazarene church members are making masks for distribution to community members. Churches have sent representatives to the local markets to give masks, hand sanitizers, and soap to shopkeepers.  

In Mexico, the parable of the talents inspired a young Nazarene couple to use their engineering experience to create face shields for medical workers. Jesús Alberto López Chevez and Brenda Ovando Torres learned how to use a 3D printer to create the headgear that holds the curved plastic shields. 

In the United States, a Nazarene woman has sewn more than 2,300 masks and gives each of them away for free. Gwenda Williams, a member of the Somerset Church of the Nazarene in Kentucky, began making masks in mid-March. There have been so many requests that Gwenda enlisted the help of several other friends to meet the need. They’ve given masks to Walmart employees, first responders, hospice and medical office employees, and handed them out to shoppers at local stores. 

In Liberia, church leaders have worked with the Empowering Women with Dignity Project to distribute masks, as well as food and sanitation supplies, to 250 people in five communities. These distributions took place during the first three-week community lockdown to contain the spread of COVID-19, and Liberia Nazarene churches are continuing to address hunger and health care. 

In Myanmar, a Nazarene pastor and his wife realized the need for masks was urgent in their area. They began sewing masks to give to church and community members. Soon, they expanded this outreach and invited women with sewing skills to join them. So far, they have given masks to more than 2,000 people, and the pastor’s wife has trained other local churches so they can also make and distribute masks in their communities, too. 

In Argentina, the Church of the Nazarene of La Rioja is making and giving away free face masks in exchange for donations of non-perishable food. The trade gives the church resources to create baskets of staples for families unable to get enough to eat. So far, 200 masks and 150 baskets have been distributed in the community.

In Madagascar, the Church of the Nazarene has made and distributed 800 face masks as well as providing more than 460 packages of food staples. Both distributions took place in 17 different locations around the city of Antananarivo. As of the end of June, the churches in the city completed three rounds of mask and food distributions.