Frontline Stories

When the 'Safer At Home' order closed their doors, a group of engineers with Makerspace Milwaukee knew the injection molding, 3D printers, and other machines in their factory could be used to make Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for healthcare workers. They wanted to do more to contribute to the pandemic fight than stay at home. With so much need for PPE nationwide, three members of the non-profit organization knew it would be shame to waste the resources and talent now sitting idle.

The owners of Rebel Converting, a manufacturer of hospital-grade wipes, knew they could help with the shortage of face masks. They had the raw materials and engineering needed. But they knew they also had a significant challenge -- they needed hundreds of volunteers and a plan to assemble and distribute the masks.

It was the middle of March and Shorewood WI Village Manager, Rebecca Ewald, urgently needed face masks for essential municipal employees. Masks were in high demand and short supply, but Rebecca knew of a group that might be able to help.

When Gov. Tony Evers of Wisconsin first issued the Safer-at-Home order requiring all public and private K-12 schools closed on March 25th, schools and teachers were scrambling to figure out how to teach, and more importantly reach, scores of students quickly.

A week before Wisconsin’s Safer at Home order went into effect, the team at Aquinas Academy in Menomonee Falls began making the difficult decisions that every school needed to make quickly.