Supporting the community in a time of need
COVID-19 has presented numerous challenges for everyone, however, Portland has risen to the occasion. Portland Water Bureau employees are working hard to keep city infrastructure sound, as well as deliver excellent water to Portland residents. Outside their hours in the office and the field, PWB employees continue to give their time and efforts to the community.
Engineering Supervisor Michelle Lostra spends much of her free time sewing beautiful masks to help stop the spread of COVID-19. Lostra teamed with her sisters and a handful of others to give out hundreds of masks to an assisted living center near her home. Some of the masks were also given out at a Multnomah Gardens Post Office.
"I think it's just kind of fun," said Lostra, who learned to sew in middle school. "It's just nice to be able to give something to my community. I'm going around my neighborhood and giving them out. I've thought about packing them in my pockets so when I go out to the store if I see someone without a mask I can give them one."