Border Patrol Agent, wife donate hundreds of masks to essential workers

EL CENTRO, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) - Two Imperial Valley natives have donated hundreds of handmade masks to essential personnel to help fight against the coronavirus (COVID-19).

Ricardo and Alejandra Ruedas have donated hundreds of handmade masks to essential personnel to help protect against the coronavirus.

Ricardo is a Border Patrol agent at the El Centro Sector and Alejandra is a nursing school graduate, who owns and operates her own online cake business

The pair combined their passion for helping others with their sewing skills and whipped up the hundreds of masks for their community during this crisis.

“We have family and friends that work in the local hospitals and we coordinated with them to find out who was in need,” said Ricardo.

“We felt the necessity to help those who help others. I learned to sew out of necessity when I was younger, and my wife just recently taught herself from online videos.”

They began by making masks for their immediate family and quickly realized they could do more for essential workers like nurses, doctors, pharmacies, local retailers and more at-risk individuals.

Inspired by similar stories across the nation, the two got to work, believing everyone has a responsibility to protect the community.

“Agent Ruedas and his wife, Alejandra, are doing a wonderful service for the first responders as well as the local communities here in the Imperial Valley. I commend them both for their selfless contribution in the fight against the spread of this dangerous virus.”

Chief Patrol Agent Gregory K. Bovino

The couple work on the handmade masks on their off time. They plan to continue doing their part for as long as possible.