The Warrnambool community is using their sewing talent to help avoid the spread of coronavirus.
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The Country Women's Association (CWA), the Foster Care Opportunity Shop and 15-year-old Abbey Fidge have sewn hundreds of masks since Premier Daniel Andrews encouraged regional Victorians to wear them as a precaution during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Masks sewn by the CWA and opportunity shop will be donated to Brophy's foster and kinship families.
Foster Care Ladies Auxiliary treasurer Deirdre Olesen said many foster and kinship carers were aged over 60 and would "be very vulnerable if there were an outbreak here".
"We have sewed over 80 masks in two days with another 100 due to be ready on Wednesday," she said.
"We'll keep sewing until all our carers have masks or until we run out of fabric.
"We have eight members who are helping out now and a few more will come on line this week."
Brophy chief executive officer Francis Broekman said the masks would help slow the spread of COVID-19.
"We can see with Colac how it can spread like wildfire," he said.
"We want to be prepared this time because the alternative is not where we want to be."
Mr Broekman thanked foster care, CWA and Foster Care Auxiliary volunteers.
"We are so fortunate to have these extraordinary gifted community-minded people who have been sewing for many years," he said.
"Not only are they providing this generous service to the community but they are supporting many of our carers practically which helps them to keep on caring for our most vulnerable children.
"During this pandemic, our foster carers have been extraordinary. I am in awe of how they managed the first wave by having to home school their children and support the children's heightened anxieties."
Meanwhile, Abbey Fidge has also been on the sewing machine, making masks for members of the community to purchase for $10.
The teen has been sewing and selling scrunchies through her online business Seaside Scrunchies since 2018, and said sewing masks was the right thing to do given the current circumstances.
"My dad actually told me 'you should start selling masks, they'd go a long way' and I didn't really take the advice on immediately but then I made one and put it on Instagram and I got a few orders," she said.
"Then I put it on Facebook and I got another 20 orders."
Face masks have been selling out at pharmacies around Warrnambool as resident's heed the state government advice to help stop the spread of coronavirus.
The city's fabric providers Lincraft and Spotlight have also reported a surge in sales of fabric and elastic.
Abbey offers free delivery in the Warrnambool area.
"People pick up and I can also post - I've had two posts so far," she said.
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