Health Conditions A-Z Infectious Diseases Coronavirus This Volunteer Group Is Making Free PPE for Health Care Workers These unsung heroes are working together to get health care workers the PPE they need to fight COVID-19. By Health.com Editorial Team Health.com Editorial Team An article by 'Health.com Editorial Team' indicates a collaborative effort from our in-house team. Sometimes, several writers and editors may contribute to an article over the years. These collaborations allow Health.com editors to provide you with the most accurate, up-to-date, and comprehensive information available. The editors at Health.com are a dedicated team of experienced health editors, writers, and other media professionals who strive to bring trustworthy and responsible health and medical content to their readers. As a team, we have decades of experience in health journalism, and have worked at legacy publishers and some of the biggest news and media companies in the U.S. health's editorial guidelines Published on May 19, 2020 Share Tweet Pin Email The COVID-19 pandemic is a global crisis—one that's prompted ordinary people to come together to help ease suffering and lower infection rates. One group, NYC Makes PPE, is committed to doing just that. This diverse coalition is doing the hands-on work of making and distributing personal protective equipment (PPE) to health care workers across New York City. What is PPE? Everything You Need to Know About Personal Protective Equipment Amid the Coronavirus Outbreak Co-founder Jay Li tells Health that NYC Makes PPE is composed of "makers," group members who know their way around technology and engineering. Since launching on March 19, NYC Makes PPE has produced tens of thousands of face masks, face shields, and other items using equipment as varied as sewing machines and 3D printers. Though they compile their resources and plan distribution through the coalition, the members of NYC Makes PPE make their products in their own individual locations, so they can operated within current stay-at-home orders. "We started out as a couple of makers who got together and decided to coordinate our efforts, and the community has grown considerably since," says Lee. Health Care Workers are Taping Smiling Photos of Themselves to Their Protective Gear to Comfort Patients NYC Makes PPE is part of vast effort to supply health care workers with protective gear they need to avoid contracting the coronavirus as they treat patients. The pandemic left hospitals and health care facilities without enough PPE to keep doctors, nurses, and other staffers safe. On March 19, the World Health Organization shared a document stating, "The current global stockpile of PPE is insufficient, particularly for medical masks and respirators; the supply of gowns and goggles is soon expected to be insufficient also." Doctors Are Pleading for People to Donate PPE Gear—Here's How You Can Help NYC Makes PPE was a joint effort from the start. Lee was already part of a science and technology cooperative called Hack Manhattan. That group joined forces with a similar organization, fat cat Fab Lab. People from the city's science and art communities responded to the call for volunteers and got to work, using their talents to chip in however they could. One member, Becky Stern, uses her sewing skills to help produce reusable masks for both health care workers and the general public. "You see a need, and you try to do what you can to meet that need," says Stern. "It's clear we're not getting the type of leadership we need from the top down, so everyone should feel empowered to participate and help from the ground up." Everything the group makes is fueled by donations and then given out at no cost. To date, NYC Makes PPE has raised over $82,000, all of which has gone towards purchasing materials to make PPE. They've made a total of 27,408 face shields, 9,961 cotton masks, and 2,779 N95 masks, which they've distributed to hospitals, firefighters, transit personnel, and nursing homes around the city. If you're interested in learning more and donating to their cause, check out their GoFundMe page. To get our top stories delivered to your inbox, sign up for the Healthy Living newsletter Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit