My name is Auriga Cohran and prior to the pandemic I was a custom apparel designer with 40 years experience. You can find me on Facebook as Auriga Lee Cohran and on Instagram @leecohran. When the pandemic hit my town in March, I jumped into action making masks for the members of my community. Over the rest of 2020 I was able to create and distribute 2500 masks to community organizations and people all across my town. It was a great experience. During this time I ran into a young man from the community of Roseland in Chicago Illinois. He told me a harrowing story of how 1000 of the 5000 deaths in Illinois were coming from his neighborhood. He told how it was filled with low income seniors and tons of foster kids.

He also said they no one was wearing masks. There is a feeling of despair in Roseland that is so thick you could cut it with a knife. Everywhere people are dying and falling sick.  

Masks for many here is an unaffordable expense. Even the dollar masks from the gas station was out of reach. As a result many Roseland youth believes that they are going to die. They are starting to live recklessly. They are losing hope.

Help me restore hope and healthy habits in the Roseland community of Chicago. I can produce 1000 three layer face masks in a month. My plan is to provide masks to the Roseland community in February, March, April, May and June. That’s 5000 masks. Although that sounds like a lot  it’s really only a drop in the bucket as Roseland is home to 66,724 people. 

I do believe that masks save lives. Please join me in this lifesaving endeavor.