2020: COVID-19 Challenges and Opportunities
Our History
2020: COVID-19 Challenges and Opportunities SisterWorks 2024: Celebrating a Year of Empowerment and Growth2023: Celebrating 10 Years of Success2022: New Sites to Expand our Reach 2019: Growth, Movement and Impact 2017: Cooking Program Starts 2016: Opening our First Shop and Hub 2013: SisterWorks Official Start
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Sisterworks Mask Prouction in 2020
With the emergence of COVID-19 there were a range of challenges and opportunities which brought out the best in SisterWorks including the production of 48,000+ reusable masks, plus a pivot to providing our programs online.
Mask Making
COVID-19 presented the opportunity to develop a new product: the reusable face mask. This turned out to be an amazing opportunity for SisterWorks at a time that would otherwise have been very difficult. Thanks to our team’s flexibility and adaptability, we were able to arrange logistics to make masks in our Sisters’ homes and 48,000 reusable masks were made in the first half of the year.
Producing face masks was a lifeline for the organisation and for the many Sisters who were able to earn an income through their production. We were able to support Sisters from our Richmond and Bendigo hubs through face mask production and our training programs, which moved rapidly to the online space. We also received extensive media coverage during this time, which dramatically increased SisterWorks brand presence.
COVID-19 Online Support
The emergence of the pandemic and subsequent lockdowns meant having to make a sharp pivot in how we delivered our programs. The team responded incredibly, changing how we deliver our core program and support to our Sisters.
The Empowerment Hubs moved to live online workshops quickly. This provided opportunities for Sisters to participate in training regardless of their location and to learn technology skills while staying engaged in the SisterWorks community through various activities.
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