When Shelli Nickel saw the coronavirus come to Texas on March 18, she felt like she needed to do something to help. That’s when she started making masks.
After Texas Gov. Greg Abbott implemented social distancing measures and closed down schools until May 4, Shelli and her husband Brett expanded their operation to accept mask donations and transport them to medical professionals on the front lines of fighting the virus.
“I’m more of a conduit more than anything else, trying to get from point A to point B to get masks in these people’s hands,” Brett expresses.
Besides picking up mask donations from their friends and local neighbors, Brett and Shelli have opened up a donation site at the Texas Gun Experience shooting range in Grapevine.
“The need is growing exponentially every day,” Brett expresses. “We’re trying to keep up with the demand, and we just don’t have enough supply.”
Once they collect the masks, Brett and his partner volunteers distribute them to hospitals and first responders around the area, including a recent 200-mask delivery to the Grapevine Police Department. When they first started, Brett collected 300 masks for professionals around the area. Now that number has exceeded over 1,000, with more coming in.
Yet Brett and Shelli’s work is far from finished. Brett says they will continue to collect and distribute masks for as long as they can. The longer they do, the better the community will fare in the face of the pandemic.
“We’re trying to get them to the front lines," Brett states. "If they go down, it’s a game-changer. There is a huge need to fill and we’re just trying to do that. That’s really what this is about.”
If you would like to help, donate masks or materials at their drop-off site at 1901 S. Main St. or email them at Masks@NicorGroup.net.