Which pandemic-helping communities are legit?

It seems like every two days, I run across yet another web site that proclaims itself to be the resource for some aspect of connecting individuals who want to use their skills and experience to help with aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

I have to wonder if they are all real. It’s clear both that there are lots and lots of people actually doing things to help, and that there are still con artists in the world.

I’d love to hear others’ experience of which groups they’ve experienced as trustworthy.

For example, @Eclsnowman I know you have printed crazy amazing quantities of 3dverkstan frames; who are you working with and why?

Unfortunately I can claim a little bit of ignorance here. When I saw the people were making PPE the first thing I did was email all of my family members and ask them if they new any nurses or emergency workers etc who needed PPE. I got a pretty good response from that and so I started making up packs of 40 and 50 Shields and then sending them out directly to the people they put me in contact with.

Then after that my good friend who is also into 3D printing started making PPE too and his wife works in public health. She got to be a part of a Facebook group of people who are matching up people making PPE with people in need (I am not on Facebook). So luckily since that happened I just need to make the stuff, and my wife and my friend’s wife have made sure it went to the right place.

My last big batch of around 600 went to the area around Willmar and Worthington Minnesota. There’s been a large outbreak in that particular population which I’m sure you’ve seen has shut down some of the plants producing pork and poultry products.

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Thank you! I also am not on facebook. I’m working the same way. Ear savers through the ER nurse in my neighborhood, face shields locally through trustworthy friends with connections, face shields to MI and NYC area through personal connections I trust. For the making side, I reached out to my neighborhood, and a neighbor kindly volunteered to join my printing projects.

The only one I really know anything at all about is findthehelpers.us which is because a friend volunteers with them; that’s how I got asked to look into using anesthesia masks to make respirators. But that’s it. findthemasks.com, getusppe.org, getmeppe.org, facemaskwarriors.com, my eyes glaze over. :frowning:

(And we have the same problem with pork and poultry packing in NC.)