GREENSBORO, N.C. — At first it seems like any other craft video tutorial.
Paige Cox walks people through the supplies she's using. The most important is mylar--a clear plastic film you've probably seen used on overhead projectors. The rest includes office supplies like staples and a stapler.
What sets the tutorial posted to Cox's Facebook page for her nonprofit craft store Reconsidered Goods is that what she's is going to help healthcare workers by the thousands.
"The face shield it’s self is basically protecting all of [their] equipment as well and the person from any kind of fluids," said Cox.
She said the shields are most effective when combined with N95 masks and cloth masks.
She's sent the shields--which take minutes to make--to Moses Cone Hospital, High Point Regional Hospital and Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center.
Others have been delivered to local homeless shelters and hospice centers. Many she's made have been at the request of healthcare workers.
"They're nervous and they're scared and I think having just a little something and knowing the community is out there for them has been a great blessing," said Cox.
She's using Facebook to recruit and show others how to make the shields. She's even started a new page on the social media site for the project.
It's called PPEopleBrigade. A friend of her sister with a knack for marketing came up with the name.
"It's a play on the PPE and I just think it's important for everyone to join forces in the community," said Cox.
She said she hopes other people create PPEopleBrigade groups in other cities and states.
Cox is assembling kits that can make 50 shields each for people who want to help.
She leaves them in bags hanging on her fence for people to come and pick up. She said that's an effort to maintain social distancing.
Her video tutorial explains the importance of sanitizing and wearing gloves while making the shields. When people finish their kits, they bring them back and hang them on Cox's fence for her to collect.
"Help is out there, it's coming. We're gonna try to beat the virus with the help," said Cox.
Cox said so far all the shields have gone to healthcare workers here in the Triad. She's gotten several requests to send some to New York so she's looking at sending a portion there and to other hotspots.
Cox has sent 1,000 face shields each to High Point Regional and Randolph Hospital. She said the hospitals plan to use the shields. She also sent 1,000 to Cone Health but they will not be using the face shields.
You can find more information about PPEopleBrigade here.