Meet Alex Patrone, the student entrepreneur who turned a 3D printer into a charitable venture, creating products for customers while using the proceeds to support food donations

When uncertainty and extra time created an opportunity to do something meaningful, high school student Alex Patrone found a way to combine a personal interest with a desire to help others. A 3D printer he received for his birthday became the foundation for a small venture designed to provide custom 3D-printed products while directing profits toward charity.

From a 3D Printer to a Purpose

“My name’s Alex Patrone, and I’m a high school student trying to find something to do during quarantine. A quick glance at the news will tell you that it doesn’t take a lot now-a-days to feel like the world is just crumbling around you. Since I am fortunate enough to be minimally affected by the pandemic so far, I wanted to do my part to help.”

For Patrone, that opportunity came when a 3D printer arrived for his birthday. He began using it to make items for his family around the house, including towel hooks, toys, puzzles, display models, containers, stands, mask accessories, and more.


He eventually decided to combine his interest in 3D printing with his desire to help people who were less fortunate. With plenty of free time available, the idea became a project called Will Print for Food.

How Will Print for Food Works

Patrone describes the project as a way of offering his 3D-printing capabilities to the public while encouraging donations to charity. Customers can choose something they would like to have 3D printed, and Patrone will produce it for them.

The printer has a print bed measuring 18x18x18cm (7x7x7in), so the prints cannot be massive. However, Patrone explains that larger objects can be printed in separate parts and assembled or scaled down. Customers who are unsure whether something can be printed can contact him by email.

For people looking for ideas, Patrone points to Thingiverse, which has thousands of files to explore. He also provides a selection of prints for those who would rather browse a list than search the website or elsewhere online.

Profits Go to Charity

The central idea behind Will Print for Food is that the money earned from the prints supports charitable organizations.

“Whatever you pay, minus the small materials (rounded up to the nearest dollar) and shipping cost , will go straight to charity (100% of profit).”

Patrone selected two organizations to benefit from the project: his local Grassroots Crisis Intervention Center and Feeding America. Any money donated is split evenly between the two organizations.

The materials cost is rounded up to the nearest dollar for simplicity and to help cover the costs associated with failed prints and purchasing new colors.

Customers in or near the zip code 21042 may also qualify for free local delivery from Patrone. Customers can enter their zip code when ordering, after which they will be informed whether they are eligible.

Examples of 3D Prints

Patrone provided several examples of models available for printing, along with their approximate filament costs:

• Fillennium Malcon - 2815721 — About $3.00 in filament
• Low Poly Yoda - 906951 — About $1.00 in filament
• Rocket - 2187088 — About $0.25 in filament, which would round to $1.00 in filament

These costs are examples and can change depending on adjustments to settings such as scale.

How a Donation Can Work

Patrone gives the example of a customer purchasing a Fillennium Malcon model for $20.00. If the materials cost is $3.00 and typical shipping costs $7.00, assuming the customer is not eligible for local delivery, the amount donated would be $10.00.

That $10.00 donation would be divided evenly between the two selected charities, with $5.00 going to each organization.

Through Will Print for Food, Patrone combined something he enjoyed doing with an effort to support charitable causes. What began with a birthday 3D printer and a desire to find something meaningful to do during quarantine became a way to create products for customers while directing the resulting profits toward charity.

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Source: Will Print for Food

FAQs:

Q1. Who is Alex Patrone?

Alex Patrone is a high school student who started a 3D-printing project during quarantine. He created the project to combine his interest in 3D printing with an effort to support charity.

Q2. What is Will Print for Food?

Will Print for Food is Alex Patrone’s 3D-printing project. It allows people to request 3D-printed items while the profits support charitable organizations.