#HOPEMASK

The #HOPEMASK project is an initiative that combines fiber arts with community involvement. It was created in March 2020, at the beginning of the quarantine in the COVID-19 pandemic, by artist Laura Villarreal. With this initiative, Villarreal designs a face covering with the uplifting message of HOPE as a contribution to her community during the pandemic. The goals of the initiative are to instill the message of HOPE, promoting healthy practices by slowing the spread and providing a job to unemployed women of La Casita Foundation. This initiative unites forces with the volunteers of the organization Club X-pats and culminates in the creation of more than 400 face coverings distributed in the cities of Miami and Key Biscayne, Florida.