Meridian employee Amanda Craig, Director of Facilities, unloads a box of face shields.

LSF employees met at The Centers in Ocala on May 7 and 8 to distribute Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), including masks, hand sanitizer and gowns to providers throughout the LSF region. The Centers in Ocala was chosen as the distribution point because of its central location in the region. Those who did not make it to the distribution point that day arranged to have their items dropped off and picked up later.

LSF Housing Resource Specialist Paul Tarnowski (left) alongside Andrew Harding, Director of Vincent House Hernando.

The PPE was ordered by LSF through a partnership with the Florida Association of Managing Entities (FAME), the Florida Coalition for Children, and DCF, who worked hand in hand to ensure these critical supplies were made available to the Managing Entities (ME) and Community Based Care (CBC) lead agencies for distribution to local providers in their respective networks. David Doylak, Michael Blessing, Paul Tarnowski, Dusty Pye, and Dr. Christine Cauffield helped organize and deliver these items throughout the LSF region beginning in late April.