Red Cross offers disaster presentations

MICHAEL PISTELLA American Red Cross volunteers Ann and Frank Boehm, right, and Jennifer Roberts speak to a group of Cape Coral Special Populations clients about hurricane preparedness on Friday.
The American Red Cross of Lee County hosted a disaster presentation for the Freida B. Smith Special Populations Center in Cape Coral.
Although officials from Red Cross hold these types of presentations on a regular basis, this was the first time it was designed for Special Populations.
“This is the first time,” said Americorps volunteer Ann Boehm. “We are trying to make sure we have talked to everyone in the county.”
Boehm said that volunteers discussed the importance of washing hands and coughing in an elbow rather than the palm of a hand. They also showed what items need to be included in an overnight bag at Lee County’s hurricane shelter for people with special needs.
“We suggest they bring something to bring a smile to their face,” said Boehm.
Items for the bag included a first aid kit, flashlights, snacks, a whistle, music, a bag of cosmetics, medicine, a change of clothes and important documents. Any bag should also have a nametag to avoid confusion, she said.
The Red Cross is available to give presentations to any organization that needs to brush up on disaster preparedness. No hurricanes have reached the region for quite some time, but officials want people to be ready for anything.
“We are more than willing to go to any group, large and small,” she said.
For more information about the American Red Cross of Lee County, visit www.arclcc.org.