Coronavirus: how printers are helping the world
I have seen a wonderful side to society at this time
Three weeks ago I asked my newsletter circle to share what you were doing to help people during Coronavirus. Many of them came back to me with some marvellous responses. What so many of you in the printing industry are doing to help your communities is heart-warming.
Here are some of the ways printers are helping
“I wanted to let you know, that even in the darkest times, we have a community that is strong. Our school systems are providing pick up lunches each day for students that need it. We also have a community arts center that is also providing this. We do a fair amount of work for this center and wanted to do something for it. We created a small coloring book and provided them with enough to hand out for a few days with the lunches. Several businesses have been donating things, this was just our small part in it all.”
Quality Printing & Design, Inc., Honesdale, Pennsylvania
“We have printed some generic “curbside pick up” signs for restaurants that are mandated closed but still offering take out. They are free for the taking or we are dropping off at local places we pass by.”
GoSignShop, The Sign Shop of the Triangle, Raleigh NC
“We are doing the school teacher packets. Printing them and mailing them as needed to students and staff.”
Tabco
This is a special response
This campaign has not been inspired by Coronavirus but has been running for a while:
“My pitch is every $20 spent on printing generates 1 meal for a hungry American. I simply donate 0.5% of my gross sales to Feeding America in Chicago. In two years I was able to generates 180k meals and I’m sending out thank you videos and certificates to my customers of how many meals they generated simply by ordering from us.
Thanks to all our customers we have now reached over 180,000 meals donated!”
Mariano Press, LLC Working to Offset Hunger
Here are some other stories on how printing companies are helping
In the UK, Jon Tolley at Prime worked out exactly how to manufacture the protective face masks that were in short supply at his wife’s hospital. He has shared the design for printing companies all over the world to use. Prime Group and also Precision Printing are busy manufacturing them.
Several other UK printers are also manufacturing PPE equipment including Potts and Route 1. The same is happening the US.
Here’s a great example of the packaging and paper sectors coming together in South Africa to create almost instant hospital beds and rooms. I have seen similar initiatives in Canada.
Xerox have gone one step further and are now manufacturing disposable ventilators.
Meanwhile, Grafenia are producing animal themed face masks.
Please share more
If you have done something great, please share in the comments below. And please share the other good things that you have seen happening in the industry. I am giving a code for 25% off any of my online products in return for sharing good news: just drop me a message once you have shared and I will send it to you.
If you share this on social media, please use the hashtag #thankaprinter
