A group of local volunteers donated 6,000 face shields, masks and other personal protective equipment to outpatient healthcare facilities across the state last weekend.

Dr. Lisa Denny started the group — www.covidmaskri.com — with fellow Barrington resident Emily Conner, who serves as the mask designer, master organizer and seamstress.

"Six of us have been running the project," said Dr. Denny, "and five of us (including me) live in Barrington."

Other members of the group are Heather Wilkerson, Jennifer Parades, Martha Palan, and Nicole Jellinek. There are about 95 people have stepped up and volunteered their time, energy and talents to making the masks. Dr. Denny said it's also important to acknowledge the contributions of those volunteers' family members who have also pitched in.

Dr. Denny said that the ACE Center Hardware in Barrington sold the group its entire stock of N95 masks at a discount price so that it could redistribute the masks to healthcare workers.

Dr. Denny said one of the group members also recently opened her own mask-making business, where she sells masks to the public. The website is www.rhodymasks.org.

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