Local small businesses are helping meet demand for PPE so people can get back to work.
NEW THIS MORNING--KANSAS CITY"SREOPENING PLANINCLUDES PROTECTIONSFOR WORKERS.FOR INSTANCE-EMPLOYERS MUSTPROVIDE PERSONALPROTECTIVE EQUIPMENTTO STAFF IF THEY WORK INCONDITIONS WHERESOCIAL DISTANCINGISN"T POSSIBLEAMIDST A NATIONALSHORTAGE- BUYING PPE INBULK PRESENTS ACHALLENGE.CONSUMER I-TEAMREPORTER CAT REIDLOOKS AT ONE OF THECITY"S SOLUTIONS ANDHOW IT"S WORKING.Nats of machineTHERE'S COMFORT IN THESTEADY HUM OF A SEWINGMACHINEJenni Shields/Evie PearlHandmade-I find it so therapeutic for me,and that's kind of why I startedIT STARTED AS A HOBBYAFTER HER KIDS WEREBORNShields-I have always had a passionfor creating, and I foundmyself always making her hairbows and accessories, and itturned into a businessCALLED EVIE PEARLHANDMADE, NAMED AFTERTHE DAUGHTER WHOFIRST WORE JENNI'SCREATIONS.WHEN COVID-19 HIT-Shields-I thought i was just makingsome masks for our familyBUT REALIZING THEDEMAND, SHE STARTEDLISTING THE PPE ON HERETSY SHOPShields-It was so important to me toleave the medical masks forthe first responders.
Myhusband is a firefighterCat Reid-Now her shop, Evie PearlHandmade, is one of the morethan 70 businesses listed on awebsite called kc ppe dotcom.
It's a partnershipbetween the city and Made inKC that launched on may 1stKeith Bradley/Made in KCCo-OwnerRight now we're about over18,000 unique visitors to thewebsiteIT'S A DIRECTORY OF KC-BASED BUSINESSESMAKING MASKS, FACESHIELDS AND HANDSANITIZERA RESOURCE ASREOPENING PUTSPRESSURE ONEMPLOYERS TO PROTECTTHEIR WORKERSBradley-You'll know what theircapability is of producing thatitem if they don't have it instock, and you know that yoursupply chain is going to beshorter, because they're itemsthat are already hereSo you're going to get a fasterturnaround than if you orderfrom an Amazon or anotherbigger company outside themetroAND PEOPLE ARE USINGTHE SITE-Shields-I saw a huge increase.
Wehave not been able to keepthe masks in stock.SHIELDS SAYS MOST OFHER SALES ARE COMINGFROM EMPLOYEES WHOARE REQUIRED TOPROVIDE THEIR OWNMASKSORDERS ARE STILLPOURING INFOR THE FORESEEABLEFUTURE,YOU;LL FIND SHIELDS ATHER MACHINE MAKINGMASKS FOR EVERYONE TOWEARShields-we're all in this together, soitwill only work if we all do thisI'M CONSUMER I-TEAMREPORTER CAT REID, 41ACTION NEWS TODA
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The grant provides funding for 360 agencies across Minnesota including Bear Creek Services in Rochester
