Our Nodes are located throughout the city.

A Node is the central location where all the volunteers in that area drop off their products to be processed and distributed to those organizations requesting PPE. You do not need intense training to be a Node Coordinator but a you will have the following responsibilities:

Node Coordination

Nodes communicate directly with donors to schedule drop-offs, answer questions; and acknowledge donations. Donations include 3D printed headbands and fabric masks, but could be other items. Donors will reach out to nodes to arrange deliveries (drop-offs). It is the node's responsibility to make them feel welcome and arrange convenient drop-off times. Your node's address is not public, so if you don't contact them, they'll never know when/where to deliver items. Larger donors like the Museum of Science & Industry will likely deliver on a set schedule (eg every Tuesday and Friday).

Post Processing and Distribution

Headbands usually are donated before they are sanitized and without additional parts. Once received, nodes create face shield kits by sanitizing the headbands, grouping them into bags, and combining them with the right number of transparent sheets and straps.

When a request is received for PPE, the node will package it for distribution, communicate directly with the person receiving it to make delivery arrangements, and then either deliver it themselves or request a courier.

Administrative

Nodes should keep track of what comes in and where it goes. If the recipient has recurring needs, ideally, there is an ongoing relationship that fosters the anticipation and planning for future orders. Nodes should also monitor and plan for their distribution supply needs AND for supporting their donors with consumables (filament for 3D printers and fabric for volunteers donating fabric masks).

There will be optional daily online office hours to make sure everyone has what they need. In addition, there will also be a weekly check in where we will share updates and best practices. Each node should have a representative at the weekly check-in. You will receive digital invites with the meeting details and credentials.