Beyond the Badge, COVID-19

CIM dental assistant, officer make masks

Man and woman smile while standing over masks.
CIM Dental Assistant Kim Hayes and her son, Correctional Officer Brandon Hayes, have crafted over 400 masks for coworkers.

A mother-son team, both employed at California Institution for Men (CIM), have turned on their home sewing machines to make masks for coworkers.

Dental assistant Kim Hayes has worked at CIM for 16 years. Her son, Brandon, is a correctional officer at the institution.

“At the early stage of the COVID outbreak, when we had shortage of masks, (they) fabricated over 400 masks for CIM,” said Shadrouz Kianouri, DDS. “I believe they deserve recognition.”

The Hayes family had two sewing machines going, voluntarily churning out the masks for their coworkers. Their efforts were covered in the Member Stories section of the SEIU Local 1000 website.

“Sewing is a dying art so I’m pleased to put my skills to work for something so important,” she said.

With material in short supply, the family turned to alternative sources such as online retailers and old uniforms.

“We’re making masks for the correctional officers out of donated uniforms, so the green masks match their uniforms,” she said.

By OPEC staff


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