MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WBTW) – In desperate times you do anything for the people you love, that’s become evident in Myrtle Beach during COVID-19.
The government has shut down all non-essential businesses like nail salons and yoga studios. These Myrtle Beach businesses have found a way to stay busy serving the community.
“Every day we work nonstop every single day for five days like every single day from 8 to 8,” Phi Phi Nguyen, a nail technician at Royal Nails said.
Nail salons were among the non-essential businesses that closed a month ago. However, work for Royal Nails employees didn’t stop.
A shortage of masks for employees and clients led the nail salon family to learn how to sew. Employees began sewing 30 to 40 a day as they began learning the technique. After getting into a routine, they were making over 100 each day.
“So far we’ve probably made a little over 3,000 masks,” Nguyen said. It started with a shortage of masks for employees and clients.
Royal Nail employees are making double-layered masks that allow front-line workers to put a filter between the cloths if they work in a hospital and have your own filter. Now hundreds of front-line workers, long-lost clients, and strangers in need have an extra layer of protection.
“They say they are willing to pay or donate the fabrics for us to make and the first thing I told them is that these masks are for free,” Nguyen said.
Across the street, an online yoga zoom class is raising money to help feed families.
“Amidst a terrible time when there’s a lot of negative to see a moment of positivity and it’s a really beautiful thing to see our community coming together to do what they can,” Ashlee Johnson, a yoga instructor at Real Hot Yoga said.
The yoga studio has partnered with Lululemon and Help4Kids. After a suspended school lunch program, all money raised during the virtual workout class is filling pantries for those in need.
It’s volunteered time getting businesses and their community through times in need.
“They asked to donate so we can continue the work, but we do this for the community.”
The salon is still taking requests on the Royal Nail salon Facebook page to donate money to buy groceries for kids and their families through Help4Kids.