In only a year working as a cook at UNC, Julia Riley has already made a positive impact on her coworkers that she probably never anticipated when she started her job.

Riley, who is on administrative leave because a medical issue makes her at-risk during the coronavirus pandemic, decided to put her time to good use and has been making masks for her coworkers 鈥� as well as for health care workers. Working eight or nine hours each day she estimates she鈥檚 made a couple hundred masks, which her husband Neil (who is UNC鈥檚 catering manager in dining services) sends out or delivers for her.

鈥淚鈥檓 sad that I can鈥檛 be with my coworkers during this time. That鈥檚 why I was happy to make them masks to support their work feeding our wonderful students,鈥� she says.

She started out making masks and surgical hats for her daughter-in-law鈥檚 mother, who works at Denver鈥檚 Children鈥檚 Hospital as a surgical nurse. 鈥淚 then got on a roll and wanted to help out other workers and families that were at the hospital during this tough time,鈥� she says.

Top Image:  About 400 students (including 56 residence advisors) are staying on campus during the COVID-19 pandemic. Dining Services prepares to-go meals for students to pick up at Holmes Dining Hall to take back to their rooms. Photo by Woody Myers.