Here’s an update on the makerspace projects to help reduce the impacts of Covid-19. From last week’s call for interest in several possible projects, over 70 community members responded, and now progress is underway on several types of personal protective equipment (PPE) and student activity kits. Most are in the final stages of design, and production should begin this coming week.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
3D-Printed Masks with Filter Cartridges
For medical personnel, 15 volunteers with Cruces Creatives are designing 3D-printed plastic face masks with cartridge inserts for filters (which can be MERV 13, N95, or HEPA). Physicians at Memorial Medical Center are testing the designs and giving feedback to ensure that the masks are effective, and based on their feedback, the masks are currently in the final phases of design and testing. Memorial Medical Center requests 1,000 units.
Fabric Face Masks
To reduce transmission risks from people who are sick and to reduce the risks to medical personnel in the absence of ideal PPE, fabric face masks are needed. A team of 50 textile volunteers with Cruces Creatives will be sewing fabric masks with inserts for filters.
Face Shields
Face shields can reduce the risk to medical personnel during procedures such as intubation. The face shields manufactured by the Cruces Creatives team have been confirmed effective by personnel at Memorial Medical Center.
The Las Cruces maker community has really come together to make a difference in these extraordinary circumstances. In addition to the 70 volunteers who are contributing their time and expertise, dozens of people have donated materials, an anonymous donor has provided $500 for materials for PPE, and Dirk Squibb, the manager of Johnstone Supply, has donated hundreds of yards of MERV 13 filter material. Over the coming month, we plan to alleviate the shortage of PPE in our community—and save lives—by producing around 1,000 units (or more) of each type of PPE.
If you would like to be involved, you can volunteer by contacting team leads for the different projects:
You can also make an earmarked donation for PPE production by contributing at https://crucescreatives.org/donate-money/ with a comment that the donation is for PPE.
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Student Activity Kits
On a lighter note, Cruces Creatives is also producing activity kits with lesson plans for Las Cruces Public School students, who are now learning remotely. The kits will be sent home with students during school lunch pickups, and some kits will also be available for pickup at Cruces Creatives.
These kits are being developed with support from the New Mexico STEM Outreach Center. Cruces Creatives would also like to thank the Las Cruces Arts Association, which has given an additional $500 toward this project.
If you would like to be involved, you can volunteer by contacting the team lead for this project, Sandy Smith, at s.smith@crucescreatives.org.
You can also make an earmarked donation for student kit production by contributing at https://crucescreatives.org/donate-money/ with a comment that the donation is for student kits.
Be safe and well wishes,
Lea Wise-Surguy, Executive Director
The Cruces Creatives Board
The Admin Team
And all our Volunteers
