A social enterprise that supports refugee and migrant women hopes members of the community can help it continue assisting those in need in central Victoria.
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SisterWorks is donating about 400 reuseable face masks to organisations in Bendigo and Castlemaine, to distribute to those who need a mask but perhaps cannot afford one.
The organisations receiving the donated masks include Bendigo Foodshare, Haven; Home, Safe, Uniting Care, Bendigo Family and Financial Services, Bendigo Legacy, CHIRP Community Health, Nalderun, and the Salvation Army.
The masks are made by refugee and migrant women in central Victoria and Melbourne.
SisterWorks' Bendigo hub lead, Ginny Tan, said a donation of $10 to the organisation would provide a mask to someone in need.
The money also pays the woman - or 'sister' - who made the mask.
"We just want to continue to donate the reuseable masks, because I don't think the disposable ones are good for the environment," Ms Tan said.
Ms Tan said it was hoped businesses and organisations would consider buying the Department of Health and Human Services-approved masks for employees.
Not only would they be looking after the health of their staff, she said, but also the women who made them.
Ms Tan said the work the women employed by SisterWorks did was even more important at this time, as a lot of men in these families worked in places such as chicken farms.
But the pandemic and the associated restrictions on these industries has left many of them without work at present.
Ms Tan said there were at least 15 women employed through SisterWorks in Bendigo.
SisterWorks aims to support refugee and migrant women to become economically empowered.
SisterWorks masks can be bought and donated online at the SisterWorks website.
Masks will also be available for purchase at the Bendigo Visitor Centre when it reopens.
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