TA/Petro Employee Makes Over 200 Masks For Lodi Site And Others

LODI, OH… When Elise Buterbaugh, Associate Category Manager for Retail Services, found herself with extra free time on her hands during the furlough, she knew that she could use her talents to help her fellow employees. Her mother, Lori, was on furlough from Kohl’s, and they came together to sew masks to help those still working on the front lines during COVID-19.

“I just wanted to do my part in helping our sites and other local businesses,” Elise said. “My mom loves to sew, so doing this together was an added perk of having bonding time while we were both off work.”

A native of Wadsworth, Elise started out working at the Country Pride in Lodi in 2010 at the age of 18. In 2014, she participated in the Manager in Training (MIT) program when she transferred to the store. Ten years later, she is working at the corporate office in Westlake.

“I am still very close with many people who work at Lodi and helping them meant a lot. I grew up watching my mom make baby blankets and other items for people, so it was a no-brainer that we would do this. I picked up the material and we got to work.”

Lori took some masks to her co-workers at Kohl’s, and Elise shared other masks with her fiance’s co-workers at Fred Martin Superstore and her best friend’s co-workers at PetSmart.

They delivered the masks in two large batches to Lodi and the other businesses on Friday, May 8 and again on May 18.