FACE SHIELDS FOR ESSENTIALS: DO YOU NEED FACE SHIELDS? WE CAN HELP.
DO YOU OR ESSENTIAL WORKERS IN YOUR ORGANIZATION NEED FACE SHIELDS TO STAY SAFE AND HEALTHY?
Are you working to distribute food or deliver services in your community? In a job where you are not adequately protected? We can help.
For the past month, Tiny WPA staff and Building Hero team members have been developing a face shield specifically to meet the needs of essential workers. Over thirty of these face shields are now being field tested by community organizations, service providers and homeless advocates. Supplies to make these face shields are incredibly scarce nation-wide and this has held up getting these out sooner but we are now ready for Building Heroes to fabricate to meet the needs of the people who’s work holds our city together.
Building Heroes have gone to great length to ensure that these face shields are durable, lightweight and comfortable. They have designed special laser cut buckles so that every face shield is adjustable but will remain firmly on your head.
We are currently taking donation requests, purchase requests and monetary donations to support this effort. Every donation helps because our Building Heroes are paid a living wage to fabricate these shields and this is also an important opportunity for them to learn and earn while giving back to their City.
WANT TO LEARN A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT OUR FACE SHIELD EFFORTS?
For the past 1.5 months we have been lucky to work with and support some great partners in Philadelphia in their efforts to create medical staff and first responders . To date this has meant that Building Hero team members have helped fabricate approaching 3000 reusable face shields in addition to designing / fabricating accessories with partners like laser cut brow shields to make existing 3D printed face shields safer for medical staff. Throughout this time we have known that many, many essential workers in Philadelphia are NOT adequately equipped to stay safe and healthy while keeping our city running and we have been working to address this need. During ‘normal’ times this is easy but materials are very scarce now, shipping is unreliable and our Hero capacity is dispersed. We are finally at the point of having materials for this work as well as a design that meets the unique needs of essential works and that Heroes can fabricate quickly to reach many, many people. The most important things to address have been comfort and usability. With sometimes limited options to regularly wash one’s hands it is important that the user feels comfortable in the face shield for long periods of time and doesn’t feel the need to regularly adjust or remove the shield. As a part of this effort, @beabuildinghero team member @brodiebauman has been developing laser cut buckles—working through five prototype buckles— that are easily adjustable yet stay firmly in place.
Many thanks to the ever amazing Ian ( @olboys_ruckus ) and his team for helping prototype these and for the even better work they are doing at @loveparkphilly and elsewhere helping #philly ’s homeless stay healthy and clean. Ian, you are such a star and a daily inspiration—we are lucky to know you.