FAMU employee Deante Allen (right) delivers supplies to the Florida Department of Elder Affairs staffers.
Florida A&M University (FAMU) donated supplies to two state agencies charged with caring for some of Florida’s most vulnerable populations during the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
On Thursday morning, Deante Allen and Kevin Timmons, employees with the FAMU Department of Environmental Health and Safety, drove more than an hour west to deliver approximately 48,000 gloves to the Agency for Persons with Disabilities in Marianna, Fla.
On Thursday afternoon, Allen and Timmons delivered 530 face masks and 33 bodysuits to the Department of Elder Affairs in Tallahassee.
“We are delighted to be able to provide supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE) to assist the agencies that care for the elderly and the developmentally disabled,” said Angela Sutton, director of the FAMU Department of Environmental Health and Safety. “During the coronavirus pandemic, Florida A&M University is mindful of the need to protect our most vulnerable residents. We stand with them in this time of crisis.”
The supplies came from the Office of Facilities, Student Health Services and the Division of Research. The University loaned the Agency for Persons with Disabilities a tent for two months.
The donations were made in response to an appeal from the Florida Emergency Operations Center, which asked State University System institutions to donate PPE such as gloves, masks, and respirators. State officials also asked universities to help with drivers, trucks, and buses that would be used to deliver food, water, and medical supplies.
The donations met a dire need and are appreciated, said Kevin Bailey, assistant director of Programs for the Agency for Persons with Disabilities.
“I just wanted to thank you again for the generous and much needed donation of gloves to help us protect our over 600 residents with developmental disabilities, many over the age of 60, and the 1,800 dedicated staff and contractors that work 24/7 in our facilities,” Bailey said. “This chaotic and uncertain time we are living in is truly bringing out the best in people and you and your university organization are truly a blessing to our amazing residents and staff.”
On March 25, the FAMU Student Health Services donated PPE to Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare for use by nurses and other frontline providers.