The COVID-19 pandemic has created exponentially increasing demands for personal protective equipment, especially in the healthcare industry. Supplies of PPE are quickly being exhausted, which could put healthcare workers and the public at risk. Building up the supply using traditional chains will take time — time they really don’t have.
There are volunteers giving their time and resources to help address the issue, but beyond that is the story of the astounding ability of American ingenuity and innovation to surmount any challenge.
Phorge Makerspace in Sheridan runs a chat server on an app called Discord where several dozen volunteers — most of them at Makerspaces in Powell, Sheridan, Riverton, and Gillette — bounce ideas off each other, working out problems and participating in a cooperative, voluntary venture.
Among those regularly…
