Air Filter Building Workshops in Hamtramck & SW Detroit

The Hamtramck Mutual Aid Timebank and the Unity in Our Community Southwest Detroit Timebank would like to reduce exposure to recent wildfire smoke by assembling DIY air filters*  and distributing N95 masks for our communities. We will use funds to one* public workshops, where participants will receive masks, learn about air quality, and make an inexpensive filter fan to either take home or donate to another community member - for free or pay-what-you-can. [*Update 9/19/23: we switched from two workshops to one, for both timebanks]

4 MERV-13 filters + box fan - see https://cleanaircrew.org/box-fan-filters/ 

1. Purchase MERV-13 Filters, Box Fans and Masks

2. Secure workshop locations, design flyer 

3. Promote workshops 

4. Host the workshops - partnering with local timebanks and environmental justice orgs, we will assemble filters, demonstrate how to use them, talk about air quality alerts and measures to reduce exposure, as well as eat snacks and share other ideas. 

5. Report back

Breathing hasn’t been so easy in the Motor City lately. Smoke from wildfires across Canada has caused air quality to be “unhealthy or worse for at least 1 out of 3 days during June 2023” (https://planetdetroit.org/2023/06/a-detroit-survival-guide-to-wildfires-and-bad-air-quality/), and as long as the fires rage, pollution from the smoke is expected to recur (https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/heres-why-much-of-america-is-stuck-with-a-hot-smoky-summer). This hits hard in Hamtramck and Southwest Detroit, where we already experience pollution from local industry, and have some of the highest rates of asthma in the state. Many people in these communities cannot afford air purifiers and often avoid the outdoors due to these conditions.