Phoenixville Makers Have Delivered 10K Face Shields: How To Help

PHOENIXVILLE, PA — A group of Phoenixville area volunteers that began working at the start of the coronavirus outbreak to supply hospitals and local residents with crucial resources has vastly expanded their operations. They've now created and donated more than 10,000 masks, 5,000 cloth masks, and 3,000 ear savers, according to group leader Shai Perednik.

The effort began in the early days of the crisis with a small but determined group of volunteers who were looking for guidance on needed supplies from medical experts.

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As of Tuesday, the group has swelled to 365 volunteers.

Perednik modified the original clear shield design along with volunteer Dwayne Myers to facilitate easier assembly and a more secure fit. The shields incorporate a headband design that's been approved by health organizations in the European Union.

The face masks are not N95 mask replacements, the group advises, but they use the CDC-style pleated pattern. The ear savers, meanwhile, are used to help relieve the irritation of the elastic on the cloth masks that can sometimes pull at the ears.

Local beneficiaries include Trappe EMS, Phoenixville EMS, West End Fire Department, Valley Forge Fire Co., and more. And they're not just supporting the Phoenixville area anymore: they've donated to hospitals, first responders, and healthcare workers around Philadelphia, Chester, Lancaster, and Montgomery counties, as well as workers in New Jersey and Michigan.

Healthcare workers and doctors have praised not just the devotion of the group, but the quality of the masks. One doctor at Einstein Montgomery Medical Center's ICU unit praises the masks on the makers' website.

"They (the healthcare workers) were amazed at how comfortable they were and how much better they were than the disposable face shields we've been sharing for the past two weeks," she wrote.

If you can help, the group is still looking for more 3D printers, laser cutters, and ad plotters.

The team has launched a user friendly website — PPEforPA.com. Volunteers who are interested in helping, or front line workers in need of supplies, can get in touch with organizers there.

The group has also launched a GoFundMe campaign, which has raised nearly $6,000 as of Tuesday.

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