Emergency kits for vulnerable seniors
Published 3:02 pm Monday, October 17, 2011
The Senior Foundation of Mercer Island has assembled 40 emergency preparedness kits to give to vulnerable Island seniors to help sustain them for a week in case of a disaster. The foundation needs help from the community with identifying potential recipients who are currently living on their own who will be able to access and use the contents of the kits. These people might not have transportation or funds to purchase the supplies included. Please contact Leslie Scott (232-4597) with names, all of which will be kept confidential. The foundation will arrange to deliver the bags.
Each kit, in a red canvas bag, contains bottled water, hand sanitizer, an emergency/space blanket, a three-day energy bar, flashlight, first aid kit, a mediset, a wallet magnifier, a battery operated radio and black plastic bags for an emergency toilet should utilities be unavailable. It also has a booklet on Emergency Preparation from the city along with an advisory notice to post in a window: ‘OK’ or ‘Need Help’ to facilitate a drive-by disaster survey.
Funds to underwrite these bags, along with 60 additional bags for residents of Ellsworth House, have come from a combination of grants from Mercer Island Rotary and the Senior Foundation.
