KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Some refugees who work at a local sports apparel company are back to work, but now they are helping in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
Resto Apparel employs refugees to manufacture custom sports uniforms, but after laying off workers last month many have been rehired as the company pivots to making face masks.
Co-founder MJ Mitchell said he and his father, Michael Mitchell, wanted to help an underserved community when starting the company.
"Most uniforms are produced in a way that honestly hurts people, so we're hoping to continue to produce in a way that dignifies and lifts up the lives of people who need it most in our community," MJ said.
MJ said the demand for uniforms came to a halt in mid-March after Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines limiting large gatherings of people.
He was forced to lay off most of his employees at that time.
MJ said he wanted to do it in plenty of time for them to beat the rush to file for unemployment benefits, but he said it was a very difficult decision.
"We're a family," MJ said. "We love our workers. They are the greatest, and not even being able to be together is difficult, let alone knowing some of the difficulties that it's causing for their families."
Now, with the high demand for face masks after new CDC guidelines, MJ is able to employ his workers again. Many of them are working from home.
"Coming back to work, I'm out of trouble," Resto employee Issac Camara said. "I have a chance to make money. It feels good."
As a young business owner, MJ never imagined he would find himself here, but he's taking an important lesson with him when it's all over: "Making decisions that prioritize people over profit, because we've got to be in this together or we won't survive."
