How Centre County has stepped up to provide PPE for organizations in need during the pandemic
Whether it’s sewing, donating or 3D printing, residents around Centre County have stepped up to address the community’s shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) — so much that even local nonprofits and medical centers have been caught off-guard by the outpouring.
At the Julian home of 3D-printing hobbyist Greg Jeffries, for example, his printers alone have accounted for 135 face shields, 400 shield frames and 200 ear savers. Elsewhere, sewing groups like State College Mask Makers and Makery Mask Makers! have combined to create several thousand Level-1 surgical masks, Penn State’s main campus donated 10,000 pieces of PPE to four local health providers, and local nonprofit organizations — such as Centre Volunteers in Medicine, which helps uninsured/low-income residents — have seen a noticeable uptick in donations.
According to Monica Wright, CVIM’s director of development, the nonprofit has earned enough donations — about $10,000 in all — in just under two weeks to keep it going for another two months. (The final day of its PPE fundraiser is Wednesday, and those interested can donate to its online GoFundMe.) It’s hoping to get as close to $15,000 as possible, to make it through the fiscal year’s end on June 30.
“The outpouring from the community has been overwhelming, and it just warms our hearts,” Wright said. “We’re thoroughly ecstatic. We’ve never done a GoFundMe before and, with this increased need of PPE, we are absolutely in desperate need of it.”
Many people around the county have contributed where they’re able, whether large or small. Penn State announced last week that it distributed more than 7,000 gloves, 4,200 masks and 225 disposable gowns to four health providers, including Mount Nittany Medical Center. But, on a smaller level, individuals have also stepped up in a big way.
Jeffries runs four 3D printers in his home around the clock, being careful to set the printers up before bed so they can run through the night. Two of those printers belong to the State College Area School District — his wife, Jess, is a teacher — and at least 10 SCASD teachers have banded together to organize, create and deliver several forms of PPE to nursing homes, medical providers, and more.
According to the district, 50 visor frames have already been created by elementary STEM teachers, while others are working on producing about seven dozen ear-tension reliever clips and more than two dozen complete mask kits.
Jason Donaldson, a technology education teacher at the high school, is one of the many volunteers.
“A lot of days are difficult because it’s hard to feel you’re making a difference,” he said. “So this provided a bit more meaning in my day to know I can do something right now that’s making a difference in the community.”
Plenty of others outside the district have similarly helped, whether it’s a 3D printing hobbyist in Philipsburg or a local student with a 3D printer. When it comes to face shields, for example, Centre LifeLink said it’s received large donations from at least four distinct groups.
“We’ve definitely been surprised; the support has just been super from the community,” said Centre LifeLink Executive Director Scott Rawson, who added they’ve received about 150 face shields, 60 N95 masks and several cases of sanitizer.
Other organizations that have received help from county residents include The Oaks nursing home, First Quality Products, FameEMS in Lewistown, the Northeast Face Shield Project, a dialysis center in Bedford, CVIM, the Village at Penn State, Mount Nittany Medical Center — and many, many others.
Volunteers around the county have been working tirelessly to fill (or at least minimize) the PPE shortage, and several organizations told the Centre Daily Times they’ve been able to make it this far thanks in large part to the community’s support. But that doesn’t mean those organizations will be just fine if the PPE donations suddenly dry up.
Jeffries, who started doing this about five weeks ago, initially thought the shortage would last only a few weeks and that he’d be able to stop by now. He’s still hoping the shortage is temporary, that he and others won’t need to indefinitely run their 3D printers 24/7. But it’s unknown when prominent manufacturers will be able to meet demand.
Until then, he’s willing to help as much as he can. Like a lot of members of the community.
“It just seemed like the right thing to do,” he said. “I had the skill-set, the equipment and the time — so I might as well try to help out with it.
“I saw it really early, the community stepping up to help, and that’s what inspired me.”
