Sewing and distributing face masks was one of the most frequent volunteering activities during the first wave of the pandemic. (source: TASR)
A homemade protective mask was the first symbol of the coronavirus pandemic in Slovakia and its success in countering the first wave in the spring.
Sewing and distributing face masks, a scarce commodity in March and April 2020, was indeed one of the most frequent activities people in Slovakia engaged in as part of the solidarity and volunteering efforts that characterised that time. Volunteers also shopped for vulnerable people or those in quarantine. Others opted for volunteering at testing sites, while those with IT skills helped teachers prepare online lessons.
"In the last 30 years, Slovakia has not experienced such a volume of spontaneous volunteering compressed into a relatively short period of time,“ said Zuzana Vinklerová from CARDO - the National Volunteering Centre.
