"I am happy to know that, in the midst of this pandemic, I can help people who are in need and thus alleviate their pain and suffering." That was the statement of Elaine Reis, who works with small seams. She is a student at Casa de Lió, the headquarters of the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) in Itabuna, southern Bahia, Brazil, and was one of 23 volunteers for the project who, in all, sewed 2,189 masks for Hospital de Base Luis Eduardo Magellan.

Even with classes temporarily suspended, Casa de Lió has continued with philanthropic activities to benefit its students and the community. The school established a partnership with the hospital, which made the materials available for the production of masks.

According to Carla Pitta, coordinator of the project, the opportunities that have arisen are divine providence.

“The project gained visibility in Itabuna, so, even during the pandemic we have been looking for partnerships,” she says. “This recent one with the Hospital de Base aims to help fight novel coronavirus. We see the hand of God guiding the project to benefit others and that is a reason for happiness and gratitude.”

The masks were delivered to the hospital on July 13. This particular location is a major point of care for those infected by COVID-19 and receives patients from 32 municipalities. The president of the unit, Roberto Gama, thanked the group for the donation, which will be distributed to the patients' companions.

“While living in a pandemic, this support is very important to overcome this phase,” he says. “This donation from ADRA arrived at a good time and will be very well received,”

For Eluzane de Souza, the hospital's uniform coordinator, the support of the Adventist agency brought a little relief.

“Sometimes companions arrive without masks,” explains de Souza. “We can operate more smoothly because we will have the masks available to give to these individuals so they can comply with regulations. Thank God we have people involved, engaged in helping others. It is extremely important.”

There are already discussions taking place regarding additional future partnerships between the parties.

This article was originally published on the South American Division’s Portuguese news site