Embroidered Panda, based in Jersey City, is a minority-woman-owned business that normally specializes in customized, sometimes quirky, embroidery for weddings, babies and even pets. But like many people with sewing skills, Amanda “Panda” Farrell, owner of Embroidered Panda, has shifted her efforts to mask making during the pandemic.

“I’ve been trying to meet the local demand in Jersey City, selling masks both on my website and in Love Locked, a woman-owned small business that features the work of local artists,” she says.

She’s also focusing more of her energy on supporting people at high risk of coronavirus exposure.

“Embroidered Panda is currently fundraising for Masks for the People, organized by the Live Free Campaign, which works to end gun violence, mass incarceration and the criminalization of black and brown bodies,” she says.

All proceeds from the purchase of Farrell’s Masks for the People masks support free masks and hand sanitizer for those who are currently or formerly incarcerated, violence interrupters or essential workers on the front lines, as well as elderly people in rural and urban communities.

Featured in Natural Awakenings, Hudson County