San Jose, CA – In response to the need for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for healthcare workers during the COVID-19 crisis, several Bellarmine students and faculty members have joined forces, albeit in separate venues, with Maker Nexus to heed the call.
Maker Nexus, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, is rallying and coordinating a diverse set of volunteers with 3D printers to print much needed, hospital approved face shields.
Bellarmine students, such as sophomore Aditya Indla, took the initiative to start a GoFundMe campaign to direct funds to Maker Nexus and local printers within the Bellarmine community. Bellarmine’s Maker Lab, under the direction of science faculty member David Dutton, is running production and delivering face shield parts to Maker Nexus, with all social distancing protocols in place. “They call it social distancing, but really it’s physical distancing, since as a social community, together we can do something positive and contribute to those on the front line against COVID-19,” said Dutton.
Bellarmine’s Maker Lab is also combining the forces of the school’s students, alumni, parents, and others to identify new forms of emergency PPE and ways that the Bellarmine community can help.
More than $4,000 has been raised through the student-driven GoFundMe campaign, which is independent from Bellarmine’s involvement.