BETHESDA, MD — Two weeks ago, 89-year-old Dan Willkens didn't know how to sew. Now, he sits hunched over his daughter's Bernina sewing machine, crafting fabric face coverings to help shield hospital staff from the coronavirus.

"This is my first attempt," Willkens told Patch. "I learned by watching my wife (sew) for 60 years, (as well as) my five daughters." Willkens — who lives with his daughter, Diane, in Chevy Chase — is homebound during the outbreak. With more time on his hands, he's hoping to do what he can to help the local community.

"We've got a whole basement full of fabric," he said. "From what I hear, I won't be out on the street for another couple of months. I need something to do and there is a great need for masks."

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Thousands of hospitals across the country are facing an acute shortage of personal protective equipment amid the growing coronavirus pandemic. In Bethesda, Suburban Hospital is asking community members to donate non-latex gloves, face shields, cloth masks and other medical supplies. To date, Willkens has donated 18 masks to the Bethesda hospital. They'll be used by hospital support and administrative staff.

Diane says Suburban Hospital wants hundreds more.

It's a tall order for even the most experienced seamster. But Willkens — a woodworker and former mechanical engineer — wants to make them on his own.

Photo Credit: Diane Willkens "We had an assembly line of help, but he said: 'I can do this. This is going to be my project,'" Diane said, adding that her father spends anywhere from eight to 12 hours a day sewing masks. "That's my dad," she said, laughing. "If he saw someone who needed some help, he'd stop at the side of the road and help. Whatever they needed."