Miami-Dade County Elder Affairs Advisory Board Donates One Thousand Masks to Seniors Residing in Public Housing

MIAMI – In order to help the community during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the Elder Affairs Advisory Board (EAAB), under the Office of Community Advocacy, and Board Member Teri Busse-Arvesu who is also the Senior Advocate for Miami-Dade County Mayor's Initiative on Aging, donated one thousand masks to the Helen Sawyer ALF and other public housing County facilities during the month of May.

Elder Affairs Advisory Board Member and Senior Advocate for the Mayor’s Initiative on Aging Teri Busse-Arvesu delivering masks  one of the public housing residents wearing oneAbout 100 seniors live at the Helen Sawyer Assisted Living Facility and almost 5,000 reside in public housing. The Board is actively seeking donations to provide masks and other supplies to these seniors.

The Elder Affairs Board was established by an ordinance sponsored by Commissioner Rebeca Sosa and approved unanimously by the Board of County Commissioners. The Board’s mission is to expand the support for seniors in Miami-Dade County, while allowing them to play a more active role in the local government by crafting strategies to better meet their needs. The Board serves in an advisory capacity to the Mayor and the Board of County Commissioners, to distinguish the needs of the elderly community, which makes up 16 percent of the County’s population.