Queens Gazette

Queens Entrepreneur Makes, Donates Masks


Flushing-based business, Sandra Smith LLC, handcrafts protective face masks, and donated 50 masks to a Queens shelter for abused women. Photos Cecelia Lucy Photography

Flushing-based business, Sandra Smith LLC, handcrafts protective face masks, and donated 50 masks to a Queens shelter for abused women. Photos Cecelia Lucy Photography

Sandra Smith designs and crafts handmade bags and inspirational décor with a specialty in pillows and desk bins with personalized messages. The Queens resident loves creativity and entrepreneurship, but she also has a socially conscious focus.

Her Flushing-based business, Sandra Smith LLC, helps women like herself, who have endured and escaped hostile intimate partners. The company has donated 2% of every sale to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence until recently.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Smith recently added face masks to her repertoire. Reusable and washable, these 100% cotton coverings come in a variety of colors and sizes. Just like with many of her other products, she and her team personalize them with images, patterns, and phrases such as “This too shall pass” and “Queens Strong.” Prices run from $12 to $20 with free shipping for purchases greater than $50.

Along with the new product comes a new beneficiary. Last week, Smith donated 50 handmade face masks to a Queens shelter run by Womankind, a nonprofit that provides a wide array of services to survivors of intimate-partner violence. The entrepreneur plans to donate more soon.

 

 

“Gifting a much-needed mask to a fellow survivor is our personal way of letting them know that they are not alone. This reminder is especially important in these harrowing times,” Smith noted. “Though I was able to escape long-term abuse while remaining in my residence with my children, some survivors of abuse are not so lucky. To escape further harm, they have little choice but to relocate and find refuge in a shelter, relying on limited resources and the goodwill of others to regain their footing.”

For more info, email sandra@shopsandrasmith.com or visit www.shopsandrasmith.com.

Sandra Smith is a member of MiQ, a division of the Queens Economic Development Corporation that sells small-batch, originally manufactured products online, in select locations, and at pop-up shops. The goal is to promote makers, share their stories, and provide opportunities for new and existing businesses to grow. MiQ (formerly Made in Queens) only worked with products made in Queens at first, but has since expanded to include all of New York State.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.