Florida is entering what’s typically the peak of hurricane season and while forecasts continue calling for fewer storms this year, experts say it’s still important to be prepared. <\/p>\n
In Jefferson County Tuesday, senior citizens lined up for shelf-stable meals to add to their emergency kits.<\/p>\n
Duke Energy was behind the giveaway. Robert Mixon, the company’s community and government relations manager in North Florida, says the goal is making sure one of the community’s vulnerable populations is prepared the next time a storm hits the area.<\/p>\n
“Our senior citizens in any community deserve to be respected and taken care of,” Mixon says.<\/p>\n
Each senior citizen received a box with three shelf-stable meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The menu included a packaged chicken salad, whole wheat crackers, green beans, graham cookies, fruit snacks, juice boxes, water, and more.<\/p>\n
“If a storm comes or if some other event happens where there’s no food in the house, it can sustain them until their next meal,” Mixon added.<\/p>\n
Sen. Corey Simon (R-Tallahassee) and Rep. Allison Tant (D-Tallahassee) were on hand to pass out food and chat with residents.<\/p>\n
“Our elderly population here struggles with food insecurity and so it’s important to come out here and make sure they have what they need and to lay eyes on them. This is another opportunity to make sure they’re healthy,” Simon says.<\/p>\n
Over recent years, the rural North Florida area has been heavily affected by major storms during the hurricane season.<\/p>\n
Tant says those who need it can sign up on the senior citizen registry’s special needs list, which provides extra support to those with oxygen tanks, mobility issues, and medications that require refrigeration in the case of an emergency.<\/p>\n
“They can’t help you if they don’t know you’re out there, so you have to go register for it,” Tant says. <\/p>\n