Please don& #39;t pressure craftspeople to give away their already undervalued work for free, during a rare time when it& #39;s in high demand. Especially if it& #39;s their primary source of income. It& #39;s great if you can donate masks, but not everyone can.

Hospitals aren& #39;t treating the virus for free. The shortage of medical masks was caused by overwhelming demand, not an inability to pay for them. It& #39;s absurd to expect poor working class people to fill the gap at their own expense; let them make a living meeting a need.

Making masks takes time, materials, and skill. Sewing -- a skill that people are constantly expected to perform for free because it is viewed as a cutesy little hobby or "women& #39;s work". The work has a cost and it& #39;s valid to want to make money at your job.

If you have the extra resources to give away masks for free, that& #39;s a wonderful and incredibly generous thing. Consider giving them to the poorest or most vulnerable people in your community who genuinely could not afford/access them.