Decatur Makers Crafts PPE for Healthcare Workers

This article was originally published May 23, 2020 in the AJC. Written by By Shannon Dominy

As the coronavirus pandemic has swept across Georgia, healthcare workers have found themselves without enough personal protective equipment (PPE) necessary to keep them safe from infection. Groups like Atlanta Beats Covid (ABC), which is a group of Atlanta makers who’ve banded together to create PPE, are working to battle this shortage.

“Front-line healthcare workers are facing a highly infectious pandemic without even basic protections. ABC is providing face shields, masks, intubation enclosures, gowns, and other equipment directly to those who need them, free of charge,” said Irm Diorio, the executive director of Decatur Makers, an all-ages nonprofit community workspace that is part of ABC.

Typically, Decatur Makers provides a space where experts and novices alike can gather under one roof to work and gain hands-on experience in their crafts. With their wood shop, metalworking area, textiles area, electronics shop, arts and crafts area, biolab, 3D printers, laser cutter, sewing machines and other tools, Decatur Makers has the tools to pivot their focus to creating PPE as part of Atlanta Beats Covid. All together, ABC has provided more than 19,000 PPE items to healthcare workers in the Atlanta area.

“This local creation and delivery model is bypassing snarls in the PPE supply chain that threaten our healthcare providers and first responders safety and their ability to continue to save others,” said Diorio.

Who’s helping?

Services: Decatur Makers is part of the leadership team of, and acting as the nonprofit fiscal agent for, the Atlanta Beats Covid group, which is providing face shields, elastic strain relievers, masks, intubation enclosures, gowns and other equipment to healthcare workers.

How to help: Volunteer for product assembly and product deliveries, sign up to help with manufacturing of items if you have 3D printers or laser cutters at home and make tax-deductible financial donations to help them buy materials to help them scale our production as requests continue to come in.

Where to donate: Make tax-deductible donations and sign up to volunteer through the ABC website: www.atlantabeatscovid.com

How to get help: healthcare or first responders in Georgia who need PPE can send requests through: atlantabeatscovid.com/contact