Saber Healthcare Blog & Newsroom

Members of The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), a nonprofit lineage-based organization, took the time to create and donate mask mates to all 117 Saber Healthcare facilities. These mask mates are for the nurses and residents who need to wear masks to protect themselves during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mask mates are made of yarn and have buttons on the back to wrap the elastic of a mask around the head. The goal of a mask mate is to make the wearer more comfortable in a face mask because the elastic ties around the head rather than the ears. Mask mates help the people who wear masks all day long because they save the ears from feeling stretched.

Erin Mullins, a member of DAR’s Chestatee River chapter, took the initiative to start and spread this mask mate project. She became inspired by other DAR members who sewed and donated over 350,000 masks to hospitals, members of the military, and those in need, and she wanted to find more ways to help.

Mullins connected to Dr. Nancy Istenes, Saber Healthcare’s Chief Medical Officer, who told Mullins that Saber Healthcare could use mask mate donations for a select number of facilities. However, Mullins wanted to turn this into a big volunteer project and asked to open up mask mate donations for all 117 Saber Healthcare locations. Together, they were able to turn this into a service project available to DAR members across the country. Their goal became collecting 20-30 mask mates for each Saber facility.

After Mullins posted on social media she needed mask mate donations, she received positive interest from women in other DAR chapters. These volunteers sewed and sent in the colorful mask mates they made.

Mullins estimates that the Chestatee chapter made 28% of the mask mates, with sixteen women from her chapter actively working on them in some capacity. Mullins collected the mask mates that other chapters mailed to her and then sent them on to the Saber Healthcare facilities.

“It’s rewarding to give back to others,” Mullins said. “It always feels good to help people.”

Other projects DAR has done for the community include making soap sacks for homeless shelters and donating boxes filled with goodies to military veterans overseas. DAR's dedication to commitment and service shines through when it comes to making a difference in people’s lives.

Saber Healthcare is grateful for all the energy and effort the women from DAR put into creating and donating these mask mates. The staff and residents appreciate their kindness and generousity.

About Saber Healthcare Group: Established in 2001, the Cleveland-based company has grown from two skilled nursing facilities to more than 117 skilled nursing and assisted living facilities in seven states (Ohio, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Virginia, North Carolina, and Florida). Saber’s “On the Cutting Edge of Healthcare” philosophy has spurred its growth and the company to implement greater healthcare knowledge and technologies to serve residents and patients in better ways.

About Daughters of the American Revolution: The Daughters of the American Revolution is an American lineage-based volunteer organization for women. There are approximately 187,000 members across the country, spanning over 3,000 chapters throughout America. The motto of DAR is “God, Home, and Country.”