A local small business is making poppy face masks to help with the Milton Legion.
My Ideentity opened up shop at the beginning of the year. The name is a play on the english word ‘identity’, and the arabic word ‘Dīn’ which translates to religion. It’s a family run apparel business that was launched just before the pandemic.
Designer Aisha Ismail says they, obviously, had no idea that the pandemic would be a factor when they started. Ismail, with the artistic skills of her husband, Yacoob; the teksavvy skills of their 19-year old daughter, Tanzeelah; and the wittiness of their 10-year old daughter, Soumaiya, took the plunge and launched the small business with a t-shirt line.
With the COVID-19 pandemic, they began to make and sell face masks.
Remembrance Day quickly approached, and the family began to sell poppy face masks. They uploaded the masks onto Facebook Marketplace. This caught the attention of the Milton Legion, who reached out to inquire about the product. A deal was formed to sell the masks in order to raise money for the Legion.
Aisha says they weren’t expecting the masks to be as popular as they’ve become.
The masks have been a sudden hit across Milton in the last week. Notably, local politicians like Regional Councillor for Milton’s Ward 1 Mike Cluett and Milton MP Adam van Koeverden have been spotted online sporting the poppy masks.
Don't forget to show your support for @royal_136 #Milton Legion & purchase your own face mask. #LestWeForget pic.twitter.com/2F3OzwLRQf
— Mike Cluett (@Mike_Cluett) November 4, 2020
Aisha says it’s really fun to see so many people out and wearing a face mask that she’s made.
She adds that she’s happy to be making something that people enjoy using, and is useful during such a stressful time.
The President of the Milton Legion, Don Hipwell, says he really enjoys seeing the community find creative ways to help out local organizations.
You can purchase a mask by stopping by the Milton Legion Branch 136, located at 21 Charles Street in the downtown Milton area. According to Hipwell, the masks are just $10.
Remembrance Day is less than a week away, so make sure to buy a poppy, buy a mask, and help support your local veterans.
You can find MyIdeentity on social media:
