Both President Trump and Governor Wolf have recommended the use of protective face masks when people are out in public as an aid in preventing the spread of the Corona Virus. Unfortunately, this type of facial protection is in short supply and all kinds of means are being used to alleviate this shortage. Businesses and individuals all across the country are stepping forward to do their best to meet this emergency in the great spirit of that we are in this together and together we will overcome it.

One Muncy area business — Keystone Advertising Specialties — a company that produces promotional materials for businesses and other entities, has been doing its best for the past several weeks to aid with this shortage.

When the COVID-19 shutdown happened, a group of Keystone Advertising employees were talking about the future of our area and of business and how when the virus got into a nursing homes it wreaked havoc.

“We assumed that people would donate to hospitals, but thought nursing homes would be forgotten about. One of our partners looked around and said well we have enough excess supplies to make a lot of masks,” Dennis Hosey, who along with Mike Philbin, co-own Keystone, told Webb Weekly. “We could also keep some of our workforce working and at the same time do good for the community. Our top-notch sewers that came to us a few years ago in a merger with Bright Banners, another allied company we own, went to work right away figuring out how to do it and a few days later we were able to start cranking out 200 a day.”

It was not long before they started running low on the spandex and they reached out for help through Facebook, and their post was shared by the Junior League of Williamsport and with that they got lots of community help.

“It was fantastic, as individuals sent us elastic, ordered online and had them shipped. Then Glamorise Foundation on Reach Road came through with a huge donation of elastic,” Hosey said. “That should keep us producing for at least a few months. We have supplied the free masks to a lot of the nursing homes and even some other businesses that directly work with the elderly. The masks are free and any business that wishes to be on the list can e-mail dennis@keystonead.com.”

If you know a business that needs masks, please have a director e-mail them and they can put them on the list.

“We just want everyone to be safe so we can get over this and go back to normal. We have a strong community and we will get through this together,” Hosey concluded.