LEAN ON ME PROJECT OFFERS FREE HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS ASSISTANCE FOR ELDERLY

The Florida Department of Health in Monroe County is offering residents who are over the age of 65, handicapped, or living with special needs assistance with disaster planning aid. This opportunity is available through the Lean on Me Project, whose mission is to empower community members to be active in preparing themselves for an emergency.

Persons over the age of 65 constitute 19.1 percent of the population in Monroe County1. During Hurricane Irma in 2017, Monroe County was placed under mandatory evacuation; several vulnerable and elderly individuals were not prepared to evacuate and/or stayed behind due to lack of situational awareness.

“In the months leading up to hurricane season, the Lean on Me Project can help provide Monroe County’s elderly and vulnerable populations an opportunity to have a viable disaster plan,” said Minorvi Amin, Public Health Preparedness Planner for the Florida Department of Health in Monroe County. Trained volunteers perform a hazard risk assessment, assist with organizing medications, getting supplies together, preparing for pet’s needs, and locating important resources.

For more information or to register, please call 305-676-3973 or email Minorvi Amin at [email protected].

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