Michael Johnson (above)
knows the importance of being an essential worker in times of crisis. The St.
Petersburg Letter Carrier has served his customers for 15 years in all kinds of
situations, including the current pandemic. In his spare time, Johnson is a 3D printing
and CAD (computer-aided design and drafting) hobbyist and says it was no
surprise when he was approached about making face shields for healthcare
professionals in Pinellas County. “My wife and several other family members are
in the healthcare field,” he says. “It was something I could do to help keep
them and their co-workers safe.” All in all, Johnson produced more than 1,000
face shields. In addition to All Children’s Hospital, he also donated shields
to Moffett Cancer Center, Advent Health and several nursing homes. “With the
design I created, I got it down to around 32 minutes to make each shield,” he
explains. “It was great when we started getting photos from different hospital
units using the masks. This led to even more people donating to the project
which helped us tremendously.”
Michael has also created
another healthcare project. “I designed what was initially going to be a
keepsake for healthcare workers as a sort of thank you, but that idea had since
evolved… We started a non-profit and trademarked a medallion that can be given
to healthcare professionals for being part of a particular pandemic,” he
explains. “Think of it as a Purple Heart for healthcare workers. We call it the
‘Medallion
of Endurance.’ It’s a badge of honor.”
Johnson encourages everyone to reach out and see what they can do for
essential employees. "I want to see more people being proactive and doing
things to help others,” Johnson says.
Great job, Michael! Thank you for giving back.
