Wayside Warrior – Debbie Brooks

Debbie Brooks, contract manager, Accounts Receivable

Debbie Brooks’ sewing talents aren’t exactly a secret ever since that time she wore a handmade leprechaun costume to share positive financial news at a monthly meeting of 40 senior staff. Debbie has sewn many things, but up until a few weeks ago she had never made masks. When the call came in, she quickly went to work sewing batches of masks for Wayside’s residential staff in Arlington, Framingham and Somerville.

To date, she’s made about 100 masks from fabric she had at home and she’ll make another 100 if she can get more material. Debbie has refused payment, insisting instead that any funds be given to a local food pantry.

“What I’ve told all of them is I don’t want any payment,” she said from her home in Plainville. “What I want you to do is make a donation to a food pantry or the Framingham Resource Center. There’s a whole lot of people who are not pulling in a paycheck who don’t know where the next meal is coming from.”

Debbie’s sewed all her life and estimates it probably takes her around 15 minutes per mask. She generally works on them in batches at night. In a month’s time she’s added a new title to her resume – mask maker. Debbie said she ordered a T-shirt that says, “I became a mask maker because your life is worth my time.”