The Black Hollywood Education and Resource Center continued its Operation Love outreach in the Los Angeles area, targeting seniors and those with underlying health conditions who have been extremely affected and need assistance.
From a distance, this effort provided welfare checks, meals and gift baskets of essential items for 100 seniors on Easter weekend. So far, the program has reached more than 500 seniors since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Operation Love meals and gift baskets were delivered to seniors including retired nurses, caregivers and other that have labored in the community for many years among others,” said BHERC President Sandra Evers-Manly. “All have in some way or another added to the betterment of Los Angeles over the decades. This small showing of love is both a practical and a heartfelt demonstration of the importance of our seniors. We want our seniors to know they have not been forgotten during this mandated and necessary physical distancing.”
The gift baskets included hard-to-find items such as gloves, toilet paper, face masks, hand sanitizer and paper towels. The meals and baskets were prepared by a host of volunteers using city, state and federal safety guidelines.
Gift baskets contributors included the Barbershop Health Outreach Program (www.blackbarbershop.org), Dr. Bill Releford, founder of Mothers in Action, Tracy Mitchell, Mothers in Action president, and Larry Chapman, production coordinator of Record One Studio.
The Operation Love initiative also focuses on distributing masks to the homeless in Los Angeles and supporting the National Black Nurses Association. Last week, the BHERC president contributed to the association to create a special fund to support nurses on the front line battling COVID-19 and to curate an online instructional program for Nurses to Help Nurses.
“Each and every one of us must reach out in a safe way to make sure vulnerable populations have someone to talk to, have medications and have enough food to eat during these difficult times,” said Dr. Martha Dawson, president of National Black Nurses Association. “We are pleased to partner with Evers-Manly during these challenging times.”
For more information about BHERC, email bherc@bherc.org.