SARASOTA, Fla. — The Suncoast Science Center/Faulhaber Fab Lab is taking requests to make Personal Protective Equipment.
Volunteers are making face shields and face masks for healthcare workers at non-primary healthcare facilities.
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"It was a natural transition for us to step in as a community resource and use our machines, our equipment, our resources, our amazingly trained volunteers to fill that need to make face masks and make face shields," said Jenn Sams, Marketing & Communications Director for The Suncoast Science Center.
The Suncoast Science center is temporarily closed to the public during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Fab Lab typically provides the public access to CAD and other design software, laser cutters, 3D printers, vinyl cutters, soldering equipment, power tools and more.
Right now, volunteers are fulfilling requests for PPE.
"We've been making deliveries to the doctor's offices to funeral homes to nursing homes to assistant living facilities," said Ping Faulhaber, Executive Director for Suncoast Science Center / Faulhaber Fab Lab.
A $15,000 donation allowed The Suncoast Science Center to donate face masks to healthcare facilities. The science center provides facilities up to 50 face shields for free.
"We were very grateful to receive a $15,000 gift from Johnson Singer Foundation, a longtime supporter of the Suncoast Science Center. They saw what we were doing and really wanted to get behind it...not only support the project with that gift but inspire others to give and be part of this project," said Sams.
To learn more about the COVID-19 Face Mask/Shield Project, click here.