Emergency Information Council acknowledges Golden Age Foundation’s financial support
by Nick Massetti
LW contributor
The next Emergency Information Council (EIC) meeting will be at 10 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 11, in Building 5, Room B. Come in and bring a friend. President Jackie Dunagan, Vice President Kathy Almeida, Secretary Marty Williams and Treasurer Nick Massetti will be in attendance.
The EIC, which only recently was granted full federal status as a Leisure World charity, acknowledged early financial support from another charity in Leisure World—the Golden Age Foundation (GAF). The GAF not only provided the initial path by which donations to the EIC could be made but also contributed generously to recent EIC activities. Those included the printing of a communitywide guide for response to an emergency disaster called “Boots On Ground.” GAF also funded a practice to that guide by the associated clubs. GAF contributions also helped defray the cost of the recent Fall Festival Emergency Expo.
After receipt of several tax deductible donations, EIC was able to open a bank account as a prelude to accepting donations from the community at large to support its mission. That mission might not be well known yet. Principally, it is to provide information about disaster preparedness to Leisure World residents. Information here is kind of a catch all to include planning and coordination guides like the “Boots On Ground” plan, which coordinates the activities of clubs in response to a disaster in Leisure World. Information also includes sponsoring the Emergency Expo in October where a number of local vendors of survival supplies and groups active in the field showed their wares. There is more about these EIC initiatives at www. lwsb.com/on-your-own/. The aim is to help residents gain safety preparedness knowledge, increasing their awareness and sharing it with their neighbors. In the future, the information will include bringing in speakers such as from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), who now has a Disaster Preparedness for People with Disabilities program and from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) regarding preparations and care for pets. All of these activities are intended to build resilience in the event of a disaster.
The EIC is seeking greater participation from Leisure World residents in all Mutuals. There is no membership fee. Donations are needed to expand the possibilities of better educating residents to not just survive, but to thrive through an emergency or disaster. The EIC’s recently published “On Your Own” Emergency Preparedness Guide says it all in its title. So invest in your survival.
IRS approved charitable donation receipts are available. Contact EIC President Jackie Dunagan at jackie919@ gmail. com or 562-431-7479.
