Wife of Stockbridge mayor making homemade face masks for city leaders

The wife of Stockbridge Mayor Anthony Ford recently made a contribution to the fight against the fast-spreading coronavirus.

First lady Alcelia Ford made homemade masks for members of the Stockbridge City Council as well as a handful of city leaders. The mayor passed the masks, which came in a variety of colors, out to the leaders after Monday’s City Council meeting.

“She just wanted to do something special for the councilmembers,” Ford said of his wife, who is a seamstress. “It was to remind them to be safe and to be cautious and remember to keep at least 6 feet between them and the next person.”

Homemade face masks have become a hot commodity around the nation as it faces COVID-19, which as of early Thursday has infected more than 69,000 people nationally and killed 1,050. In Georgia, there have been close to 1,400 confirmed cases as of Thursday morning and 47 deaths.

Volunteers around the state are making masks, though they are not the N95 surgical variety used by hospitals. Alcelia Ford's masks are made of cotton and are machine washable so they can be used more than once, her husband said.

Mayor Ford said his wife is keeping the quantity small as she does not have the materials to make a hospital-grade product. Her goal is to have an impact on a smaller scale.

“She will do some more as gifts for people and as a gesture of goodwill,” Mayor Ford said.