ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Sixteen-year-old Jaeden Gefflin always had the goal of starting a non-profit, but he never expected it would be so soon.
What You Need To Know
- St. Pete siblings start non-profit making and selling masks
- For every mask sold, they donate one to someone in need
- So far they've sold over 800 masks
- For more info on their non-profit 'MaskUp St. Pete', head here
When the St. Petersburg teen found himself at home with his family as quarantine began back in March, they began to hatch a plan on how they could help others.
“We were trying to order masks and we spent hundreds of dollars online trying to get masks and they were never showing up,” said his mother Miranda Holland.
So Jaeden and his sister, Ella, decided to start making them. Soon, the plan transformed into a non-profit with a unique business model. For every mask that the siblings sold through their brand ‘MaskUP St. Pete’, they made a second to donate to someone in need.
“It became a great opportunity for us to do something together and to do something that was meaningful,” Holland said.
“This really blossomed into a really big thing, bigger than we ever expected it to be, but it's a blessing,” Jaeden added.
While Jaeden does much of the sewing with help from family friends, Ella designed the website and took over the packaging and shipping process.
“I definitely think we can keep this growing and hopefully it continues to grow like it has been,” Ella said.
So far, the siblings have sold well over 800 masks and they’re getting orders in from all over the country.
On the website, you can pick from a number of styles and patterns. Masks start at around $10.