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When the coronavirus pandemic led to a mask shortage in her hometown of Jerseyville, Illinois, Janice Arnold knew there had to be a way she could help \u2013 even if she didn\u2019t know how to sew.

\u201cEmergencies aren\u2019t called emergencies because we\u2019ve had time to prepare for them,\u201d says Arnold, the founder of Angel Ministries. \u201cI knew that if I got enough people involved, we could figure it out together.\u201d

Arnold put out the call to her network of volunteers to come together and make masks for healthcare workers in Jerseyville. Much to her surprise, 200 volunteers offered to source materials and start producing masks.

Over time, as the community\u2019s needs evolved to include more people, Angel Ministries began creating more sizes and styles \u2013 most recently for school children. In addition to the 12,000 masks the group has already made, the volunteers are now working to make five masks for each child in the school district \u2013 one for each day of the week.

\u201cIt\u2019s so important that our children have a clean mask in a style they like,\u201d she says. \u201cThat way, they feel comfortable and confident wearing them.\u201d Janice Arnold has one piece of advice to anyone who thinks that a problem is too big for them to fix: \u201cjust start small.\u201d

That\u2019s exactly how she got on the path of helping people 20 years ago, work that she started part-time helping a few families around Christmas time while she worked a full-time job. Now, five years into retirement, she is able to continue helping families, but now full-time.

\u201cWhether it\u2019s a mom who was just evicted, or a family who needs help getting clothing or school supplies for their kids, we find a way to get it done,\u201d she says. \u201cAround town, I\u2019m known as the lady who gets it done.\u2019

For more information on how to become involved or how to support Arnold\u2019s work through Angel Ministries, visit: www.Facebook.com/AngelMinistriesJC

And for more information on ways YOU can get involved in your local community visit aarp.org/nearyou or discover opportunities to give back nationwide by visiting Create the Good.