Create Low-Cost, DIY Face Shields for Healthcare Professionals and Beyond
A Project Funded by Alliance of Chinese Americans San Diego
Spencer Zhang
Background
In this unprecedented time surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, everything has been put to a screeching halt from school closures to shelter-in-place orders. Many parents have been overwhelmed with balancing work either at home or at the workplace, while healthcare professionals are fighting the coronavirus at the front line. Several hospitals in the San Diego area have suffered a severe shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) for doctors and nurses. This medical mask shortage prompts hospitals to decontaminate and reuse masks that are supposed to be disposable.
In response, my organization, Youth Golf Alliance (youthgolfalliance.weebly.com), a student-run organization composed of local high school golf varsity team members, has stepped up to address these needs during this national emergency. In the past years, we conducted several fundraising golf clinics in our community during National Breast Cancer Awareness month, the holiday season, National Book Month, and more, in efforts to support disadvantaged groups. Due to the current shelter-in-place orders, I, the president and founder of Youth Golf Alliance, immediately proposed a personalized online tutoring fundraiser to my team members, aiming to fill the gap for the lack of classroom learning and academic anxiety due to the pandemic. It’s our desire to apply our experience to continue supporting those in need. We have launched one-on-one tutoring in a variety of subjects to help K-9th grade students learn and feel supported in their virtual coursework while raising funds for this rapidly escalating need of PPE at the front line. By using the free online Zoom platform, seven of us are able to offer private tutoring services right away. Advertising on social media platforms such as Facebook, Nextdoor, WeChat, and the local newspaper, we were fully booked in just a weekend and raised $150 in funds in just four days.
Due to the global shortage of medical masks, face shields may provide a better option. These clear plastic barriers are comfortable to wear, and can prevent infected droplets from getting into the eyes, all while allowing visibility of facial expressions. With the fund and three household items, I created a cost-efficient, high-throughput, in-home assembly strategy, and handmade 300 face shields in a short span of days. On April 24th, Youth Golf Alliance delivered 300 face shields to Palomar Health, a local hospital with campuses in Escondido and Poway, which are designated COVID-19 patient treatment centers.
In this unprecedented time surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, everything has been put to a screeching halt from school closures to shelter-in-place orders. Many parents have been overwhelmed with balancing work either at home or at the workplace, while healthcare professionals are fighting the coronavirus at the front line. Several hospitals in the San Diego area have suffered a severe shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) for doctors and nurses. This medical mask shortage prompts hospitals to decontaminate and reuse masks that are supposed to be disposable.
In response, my organization, Youth Golf Alliance (youthgolfalliance.weebly.com), a student-run organization composed of local high school golf varsity team members, has stepped up to address these needs during this national emergency. In the past years, we conducted several fundraising golf clinics in our community during National Breast Cancer Awareness month, the holiday season, National Book Month, and more, in efforts to support disadvantaged groups. Due to the current shelter-in-place orders, I, the president and founder of Youth Golf Alliance, immediately proposed a personalized online tutoring fundraiser to my team members, aiming to fill the gap for the lack of classroom learning and academic anxiety due to the pandemic. It’s our desire to apply our experience to continue supporting those in need. We have launched one-on-one tutoring in a variety of subjects to help K-9th grade students learn and feel supported in their virtual coursework while raising funds for this rapidly escalating need of PPE at the front line. By using the free online Zoom platform, seven of us are able to offer private tutoring services right away. Advertising on social media platforms such as Facebook, Nextdoor, WeChat, and the local newspaper, we were fully booked in just a weekend and raised $150 in funds in just four days.
Due to the global shortage of medical masks, face shields may provide a better option. These clear plastic barriers are comfortable to wear, and can prevent infected droplets from getting into the eyes, all while allowing visibility of facial expressions. With the fund and three household items, I created a cost-efficient, high-throughput, in-home assembly strategy, and handmade 300 face shields in a short span of days. On April 24th, Youth Golf Alliance delivered 300 face shields to Palomar Health, a local hospital with campuses in Escondido and Poway, which are designated COVID-19 patient treatment centers.
Goal
With an established foundation, I want to expand on the number of face shields produced as we receive more requests from healthcare professionals. Our goal is to donate 10,000 face shields to local facilities affected by COVID-19 by the end of August 2020.
With an established foundation, I want to expand on the number of face shields produced as we receive more requests from healthcare professionals. Our goal is to donate 10,000 face shields to local facilities affected by COVID-19 by the end of August 2020.
Method
1. Purchase plastic headbands, ultra clear heavyweight sheet protectors, elastic bands.
2. Have everything ready on a clean table. Wear gloves and poke the headband through the white part of the sheet protector.
3. Tie the rubber band through the holes on each end. I uploaded a Youtube video (https://youtu.be/k2qnYoLnYfM) to encourage others to create this easy and affordable DIY face shield in less than two minutes. This tutorial video can be shared to other social media platforms throughout the internet. My team members are also adopting this strategy to create face shields.
1. Purchase plastic headbands, ultra clear heavyweight sheet protectors, elastic bands.
2. Have everything ready on a clean table. Wear gloves and poke the headband through the white part of the sheet protector.
3. Tie the rubber band through the holes on each end. I uploaded a Youtube video (https://youtu.be/k2qnYoLnYfM) to encourage others to create this easy and affordable DIY face shield in less than two minutes. This tutorial video can be shared to other social media platforms throughout the internet. My team members are also adopting this strategy to create face shields.
Progress Updates
(July 12, 2020)
Thank you so much for the second check of $500. This past week we shipped 200 handmade face shields to Border Kindness, a non-profit organization providing asylum-seekers, migrants, refugees, and the displaced with comprehensive services that include food, shelter, clothing, medical care and legal services. They are in need of face shields for their frontline health care workers and for people serving and delivering food to the hundreds of people they are feeding each day. Please see the photo attached.
I’ve attached two news articles here: the first one was published by Marin Independent Journal, the main newspaper of Marin County in California, on July 2 featuring our recent efforts on the donation of 1000 face shields to San Francisco with the help of California Disaster Airlift Response Team. https://www.marinij.com/2020/07/02/gnoss-field-volunteer-pilots-bolster-coronavirus-supply-line/
The second news article was published by Del Mar Times on July 9 featuring our COVID-19 relief efforts throughout California since early-April. https://www.delmartimes.net/lifestyle/story/2020-07-09/youth-golf-alliance-successfully-contributed-to-covid-19-relief-throughout-california
Overall, with a supporting grant of $1000 from ACA (thank you so much for your advocacy) and our online tutoring fundraising, we were able to donate 5070 handmade face shields and 700 face masks to 24 charitable organizations in over three month of time.
Recently, we received encouraging words from Project Open Hand in San Francisco and San Francisco Senior Centers. To us YGA, it has become part of the growing and learning experience we cherish and it prepares us to become citizens with responsibilities in a few years. We are thrilled they took the time to let us know that our work is indeed for a worthy cause.
"YGA Team, THANKS SO MUCH for the generous donation of face shields to support the work being done at Project Open Hand! Since 1985, POH has created and delivered medically tailored meals to critically ill and vulnerable neighbors in San Francisco and the Bay Area. Our work has continued through the COVID-19 pandemic and the availability of PPE has been critical to us. " -Vice-President of Operations, Project Open Hand. I attached a photo of Project Open Hand food services team giving the thumbs up to the face shields delivered to them by CalDART.
"Dear Spencer and your Amazing Team! You rocked! I picked up the boxes from the pilots – we were at the airfield when they landed, my family loaded them into my car and I drove them with my daughter to the city, San Francisco. I have been working for Emergency Preparedness for 40 years, and this is what it looks like when we all work together, it starts with you and your team! We are so very grateful for you all coming together, to make these face shields, pack them and have them ready! You are all amazing gifts! The San Francisco Senior Center, is the oldest non-profit in the United States, built in a building during WPA time- all by artists, we have been in the Maritime Museum for 73 years! Our staff calls 2,500 seniors each week, coordinating food delivery, well calls, delivery of prescriptions and offering free, zoom classes for exercise, art, writing, qigong and connections. Your face screens you so lovingly made will go to our volunteers and staff who are connecting in person to our community! Stay well my friends, and know that your gifts will help those isolated seniors in our community and help our staff and volunteers to stay safe!" -Living Well Aging Well Service Coordinator, San Francisco Senior Centers.
That's it for this week. It has been a rewarding and heartwarming experience to be able to contribute to the COVID-19 relief via face shield donation and make a greater impact throughout California. Without your and ACA's support, it would not have been gone this far. A huge thank you to you all.
Thank you so much for the second check of $500. This past week we shipped 200 handmade face shields to Border Kindness, a non-profit organization providing asylum-seekers, migrants, refugees, and the displaced with comprehensive services that include food, shelter, clothing, medical care and legal services. They are in need of face shields for their frontline health care workers and for people serving and delivering food to the hundreds of people they are feeding each day. Please see the photo attached.
I’ve attached two news articles here: the first one was published by Marin Independent Journal, the main newspaper of Marin County in California, on July 2 featuring our recent efforts on the donation of 1000 face shields to San Francisco with the help of California Disaster Airlift Response Team. https://www.marinij.com/2020/07/02/gnoss-field-volunteer-pilots-bolster-coronavirus-supply-line/
The second news article was published by Del Mar Times on July 9 featuring our COVID-19 relief efforts throughout California since early-April. https://www.delmartimes.net/lifestyle/story/2020-07-09/youth-golf-alliance-successfully-contributed-to-covid-19-relief-throughout-california
Overall, with a supporting grant of $1000 from ACA (thank you so much for your advocacy) and our online tutoring fundraising, we were able to donate 5070 handmade face shields and 700 face masks to 24 charitable organizations in over three month of time.
Recently, we received encouraging words from Project Open Hand in San Francisco and San Francisco Senior Centers. To us YGA, it has become part of the growing and learning experience we cherish and it prepares us to become citizens with responsibilities in a few years. We are thrilled they took the time to let us know that our work is indeed for a worthy cause.
"YGA Team, THANKS SO MUCH for the generous donation of face shields to support the work being done at Project Open Hand! Since 1985, POH has created and delivered medically tailored meals to critically ill and vulnerable neighbors in San Francisco and the Bay Area. Our work has continued through the COVID-19 pandemic and the availability of PPE has been critical to us. " -Vice-President of Operations, Project Open Hand. I attached a photo of Project Open Hand food services team giving the thumbs up to the face shields delivered to them by CalDART.
"Dear Spencer and your Amazing Team! You rocked! I picked up the boxes from the pilots – we were at the airfield when they landed, my family loaded them into my car and I drove them with my daughter to the city, San Francisco. I have been working for Emergency Preparedness for 40 years, and this is what it looks like when we all work together, it starts with you and your team! We are so very grateful for you all coming together, to make these face shields, pack them and have them ready! You are all amazing gifts! The San Francisco Senior Center, is the oldest non-profit in the United States, built in a building during WPA time- all by artists, we have been in the Maritime Museum for 73 years! Our staff calls 2,500 seniors each week, coordinating food delivery, well calls, delivery of prescriptions and offering free, zoom classes for exercise, art, writing, qigong and connections. Your face screens you so lovingly made will go to our volunteers and staff who are connecting in person to our community! Stay well my friends, and know that your gifts will help those isolated seniors in our community and help our staff and volunteers to stay safe!" -Living Well Aging Well Service Coordinator, San Francisco Senior Centers.
That's it for this week. It has been a rewarding and heartwarming experience to be able to contribute to the COVID-19 relief via face shield donation and make a greater impact throughout California. Without your and ACA's support, it would not have been gone this far. A huge thank you to you all.
(July 10, 2020)
Reported in Del Mar Times, July 9, 2020 -
On July 2, Youth Golf Alliance (YGA), a student-run organization of local high school golf varsity team members, made its sixth and last donation of 1,000 face shields for delivery to the California Disaster Airlift Response Team (CalDART) at the Carlsbad Jet Center. Ever since the shelter-in-place orders began in early April, YGA has offered over 100 tutoring sessions to students from 18 local schools for more than three months. The members have purchased 700 face masks and procured materials to produce 5,070 handmade face shields with the suggested donation from their online tutoring fundraising and a supporting grant of $1,000 from the Alliance of Chinese Americans in San Diego.
Reported in Del Mar Times, July 9, 2020 -
On July 2, Youth Golf Alliance (YGA), a student-run organization of local high school golf varsity team members, made its sixth and last donation of 1,000 face shields for delivery to the California Disaster Airlift Response Team (CalDART) at the Carlsbad Jet Center. Ever since the shelter-in-place orders began in early April, YGA has offered over 100 tutoring sessions to students from 18 local schools for more than three months. The members have purchased 700 face masks and procured materials to produce 5,070 handmade face shields with the suggested donation from their online tutoring fundraising and a supporting grant of $1,000 from the Alliance of Chinese Americans in San Diego.
(July 6, 2020)
This is the 12th week since we launched our COVID-19 DIY Face Shield project in early-April. In the past two weeks, we continued to donate hundreds of face shields (thanks to ACA's funding), which were then distributed by California Disaster Airlift Response Team to several organizations throughout California. On June 23rd, our 500 handmade face shields went to the EAH Housing, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to building diverse communities with affordable housing regardless of income or ethnic background, and Redwood Empire Food Bank, a nonprofit with a mission to improve the health and well-being of our community. I've attached two pictures for your reference.
Today we donated 1000 handmade face shields, which were airlifted by CalDART to several organizations in San Francisco, including the San Francisco Department of Public Health, Student Nutrition Services of San Francisco Unified School District, San Francisco Senior Center, Project Open Hand, Archdiocese of San Francisco, and Chinatown Health Consortium. Per your request, here is a list of organizations and numbers of face shields they received from us.
Receiving Organizations # of faceshields
Palomar Health 300
HarborView Senior Assist Living 75
The Springs at Pacific Regent 125
LightBridge Hospice & Palliative Care 100
City of San Diego 300
Interfaith Community 12
County of San Diego and Rady Children's Hospital Foundation 200
Community Health Partners of San Jose 600
State Council on Developmental Disabilities in Sacramento 500
Adventist Health Networks in Bakersfield 500
Dayle McIntosh Center 75
Calaveras Unified School District 300
Islamic Relief 100
Church of Scientology 25
Redwood Empire Food Bank 250
EAH Housing 250
San Francisco Department of Public Health 200
San Francisco Senior Center 100
San Francisco Unified School District 100
Project Open Hand 200
San Francisco Chinatown Health Consortium 200
Archdiocese of San Francisco 200
Total 4820
This is the 12th week since we launched our COVID-19 DIY Face Shield project in early-April. In the past two weeks, we continued to donate hundreds of face shields (thanks to ACA's funding), which were then distributed by California Disaster Airlift Response Team to several organizations throughout California. On June 23rd, our 500 handmade face shields went to the EAH Housing, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to building diverse communities with affordable housing regardless of income or ethnic background, and Redwood Empire Food Bank, a nonprofit with a mission to improve the health and well-being of our community. I've attached two pictures for your reference.
Today we donated 1000 handmade face shields, which were airlifted by CalDART to several organizations in San Francisco, including the San Francisco Department of Public Health, Student Nutrition Services of San Francisco Unified School District, San Francisco Senior Center, Project Open Hand, Archdiocese of San Francisco, and Chinatown Health Consortium. Per your request, here is a list of organizations and numbers of face shields they received from us.
Receiving Organizations # of faceshields
Palomar Health 300
HarborView Senior Assist Living 75
The Springs at Pacific Regent 125
LightBridge Hospice & Palliative Care 100
City of San Diego 300
Interfaith Community 12
County of San Diego and Rady Children's Hospital Foundation 200
Community Health Partners of San Jose 600
State Council on Developmental Disabilities in Sacramento 500
Adventist Health Networks in Bakersfield 500
Dayle McIntosh Center 75
Calaveras Unified School District 300
Islamic Relief 100
Church of Scientology 25
Redwood Empire Food Bank 250
EAH Housing 250
San Francisco Department of Public Health 200
San Francisco Senior Center 100
San Francisco Unified School District 100
Project Open Hand 200
San Francisco Chinatown Health Consortium 200
Archdiocese of San Francisco 200
Total 4820