NORTH KINGSTON, R.I. (WPRI) — Ocean State Job Lot is now handing out free fabric to its customers who are looking to create their own cloth face masks.

Ocean State Job Lot said its 140 stores combined have enough fabric to make approximately 2 million homemade masks.

The campaign, “Mask Fabric for Free,” comes as the Rhode Island Department of Health encourages everyone to wear cloth masks while out in public to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

Gov. Gina Raimondo praised Ocean State Job Lot during her daily press briefing on Wednesday for the program.

“During this critically important time, it’s our responsibility as community partners to think outside of the box and provide as much assistance as we can,” Chief Marketing Officer Paul Conforti said.

“While we’ve been focused on sourcing critical supplies and medical-grade masks for healthcare professionals and first responders battling COVID-19, our “Mask Fabric For Free” campaign specifically focuses on the needs of everyday people who are looking for responsible ways to protect themselves and others,” he added.

Ocean State Job Lot is limiting customers to five pieces of fabric to ensure all customers have a chance to make a mask. Customers making one or two masks will be given cloth napkins, while those making larger amounts of masks will be given a tablecloth.

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