JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Fl – Volunteers with Beaches Emergency Assistance Ministry, BEAM, and Humana are packing hurricane supply kits Friday for senior citizens who live in the Beaches area. It’s their second day of building the kits to donate to more than 80 senior citizens.
The kits contain a five-day supply of non-perishable food items for each family member, nine bottles of water, a first-aid kit, a lantern, a radio, batteries, a non-electric can opener, face masks, and alcohol wipes.
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Every senior enrolled in the BEAM Senior Services Program will receive the hand-delivered bags.
“Our last hurricane kit effort was in September 2021. After a senior client expressed concern about the upcoming hurricane season, I felt compelled to restart this service,” said Shantella Gamble, Senior Services Program Manager for BEAM. “It became clear that our seniors needed this assistance and I wanted to ensure they had access to it.”
Narissa Kennedy, a high school volunteer was among those who helped build the kits and said, “my sister started volunteering with BEAM first and she’s the one who introduced me to it. I enjoy it.”
BEAM helps provide emergency assistance and a path to economic stability to low-income families and individuals who work or live in the Jacksonville Beaches area.
The assistance includes rent and utility assistance, two food pantries, the BEAM Food Bank and a garden that provides thousands of pounds of fresh vegetables and fruits each year to its clients.
In addition, BEAM offers nutrition, single parents and senior case management programs, assistance with SNAP Benefits and Medicaid applications, income tax filing help, Thanksgiving baskets, and a Back-to-School program serving about 700 kids each year.
If you would like to learn more about the services provided by BEAM, click here or call (904) 241-7437.