You know, we'll all be doing hurricane supply drives through the course of the summer, especially when storms hit. But why not be proactive? Why not do one now? And why not take care of our senior citizens?"
"The Lafayette Council on Aging, after any time we have a hurricane, or a flood, all of our seniors call us for help," says Council on Aging Executive Director Kathy Boudreaux.
In fact, after the 2020 hurricanes of Delta and Laura, Council on Aging was inundated with requests for emergency aid and supplies. So, this year? Before any potential hurricane strikes?
"This year, we decided to be proactive instead of reactive, and we decided to get out in front of it and make sure we have all of the supplies and deliver them to our seniors ahead of time," smiles Boudreaux.
"I don't think anybody in our community was prepared for the effect, for the devastation that happened with both hurricanes, the flooding, the freezing," adds Amedisys Home Health Care's Mary Pham, "so my heart goes out to our aging population."
That brings us to Thursday morning's hurricane supply drive at One Acadiana in Lafayette. And the basic request was for basic essentials.
"Toothpaste, toothbrushes, things to take care of personal hygiene," lists Amedisys' Lawrence Sims. "Water. Water is very important , water batteries and we want to make sure we're on top of it by collecting now."
Bad things happen. Violent storms... happen. Nature...happens. And the partnership created for this event--- Council on Aging, One Acadiana, and Amedisys Home Health Care-- brought in items that will go directly to seniors in Acadiana and help them be hurricane prepared.
"I know we're represented by different companies," says Sims, "but we're here for the better good of people. and once we keep that at the forefront, that we're here to serve people, the rest of the stuff doesn't really matter."
Partnership. Storms. Preparedness. Hurricanes.
And most importantly, people... seniors affiliated with the Council's Meals on Wheels program.
"We also have many seniors who are on a very fixed income," adds Boudreaux, "so running out to buy flashlights and batteries and essential things is just not in their budget."
If you missed out on today's event and still want to donate, you can drop off items at One Acadiana or the Lafayette Council on Aging. It's all for the greater good: our seniors.
------------------------------------------------------------
Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere.
To reach the newsroom or report a typo/correction, click HERE.
Sign up for newsletters emailed to your inbox. Select from these options: Breaking News, Evening News Headlines, Latest COVID-19 Headlines, Morning News Headlines, Special Offers
