Berkeley’s Girls Garage joins battle against pandemic

BERKELEY, Calif. - At Girls Garage in Berkeley a group of young women have joined the battle against the pandemic.

"I'm not on the front line. But I can help those in need," said 17-year-old Simone Parisi.

Parisi, a junior at El Cerrito High School, is part of a team of female teens making face shields to help keep doctors, nurses and other first responders who may come in contact with COVID-19 patients safe.

"Sometimes it fees like you don't have a lot of power and it's a really scary situation. But there are little things you can do that can have an impact," said Parisi.

Girls Garage turns out about 100 face shields a day, or about 1,000 since it started making them.

The desperately-needed shields have been going to hospitals and care centers here in the Bay Area and also to those in New York and New Jersey.

The shields start with a baseball cap.

"The plastic shield gets bent, the brim of the hat gets marked and clipped. Then they are attached using pliers," said Emily Pilloton, founder of Girls Garage.

The nonprofit is a place where girls aged 9-18 can learn how to work with their hands and use power tools, skills that are often associated more with boys and men.

The non-profit has made furniture for womens' shelters and sand boxes for preschools. Now they've enlisted in the battle of a lifetime.

"Sitting around my house makes me really antsy," says Eliana Ives, a senior at Berkeley High School. 

"So many people are trying to do all they can to fight the coronavirus not just sitting. So having a hands on activity to help these people is really gratifying," says Ives.