42 LONGISLANDPRESS.COM • JUNE 2020
TEEN VS. COVID-19
3-D PRINTING PPE BY DAVID BIEBER
A Hempstead High School junior is
partnering with local nonprofits to
3-D print plastic personal protective
equipment for his school’s staff and
area essential workers to help prevent
the spread of the coronavirus.
Fortuntatus Adeyemi teamed up
with the United Way of Long Island,
the Hempstead School District, and
Morrison Mentors, a science and technology
training program that he graduated
from, to 3-D print face shields and
masks at the Alverta B. Gray Schultz
Middle School.
“I had been doing nothing since the
quarantine began and I just wanted to
help the community,” says Adeyemi.
“I’ve seen so many people out there
struggling and needing equipment.
There was a variable shortage of masks
out there. It really affected us.”
The PPE he makes stands out from
others for their ability to be cleaned by
disinfectant wipes. They also come with
unique features such as filters, filter
replacements, and ear reliefs. Material
is bought and funded by the nonprofits
involved.
“The masks allow for reusability, unlike
the regular ones that are no longer
efficient once they get wet or are worn
too many times,” says Doron Spleen, executive
director of Morrison Mentors.
“A lot of parents don’t have the money
to pay for that type of PPE equipment
over and over and over.”
More than 300 face shields and masks
were donated last Friday to cafeteria
staff, security guards, custodians, administration
and volunteers throughout
the Hempstead School District.
Some PPE will be worn by students
from the Zucker School of Medicine at
Hofstra/Northwell to protect them as
they distribute meals to families of the
Hempstead community. A new batch
of 300 is planned to be distributed to
medical facilities, police departments,
sanitation workers, and the homeless.
“It’s going to give immediate relief
for folks to figure out the next step,”
Spleen says. “With COVID hitting, and
us moving all of our learning courses
and workshops online, you know it feels
great to still be able to give back during
a time like this.”
For more information about Morrison
A Hempstead teenager made hundreds
of pieces of PPE.
Mentors visit facebook.com/pg/
MorrisonMentorsInc
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