Lane County Preparedness Mentoring Project

Preparedness Project Finale
8/27/2009

Contact:
Selene Jaramillo,
Lane County Preparedness Mentoring Project Coordinator,
682-3651

Interview Op:
Members of the media are welcome to come to the celebration ceremony at 12:50 p.m. for interviews.

What:
Preparedness Mentoring Project final workshop and Emergency Preparedness Celebration - "Myths and Facts about the current pandemic influenza". Featuring a tabletop discussion of the current Pandemic Influenza (H1N1). Lane County Commissioner Bill Fleenor will give a brief speech congratulating participants and will present Certificates of Completion to them.

Who:
Forty Community Based Organizations that provide services to the homeless have completed a 6-month program that helped them learn about, develop and implement Emergency Plans for their agencies. Participants include shelters, food pantries and churches. This project was offered by Lane County Public Health's Emergency Preparedness program, with funds from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This is currently the only project in the nation that combines a series of workshops and one-on-one mentoring to promote completion of Emergency Plans.

Where and when:
The workshop will be held Wednesday, September 9 at the Holiday Inn Hotel, 919 Kruse Way, Springfield. The workshop will begin at 9 a.m. for participants.

About the ProjectThe Preparedness Mentoring Project is a one-year project funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The grant was awarded to Lane County Public Health and the State of Oregon’s Public Health Preparedness Office. Our mission is to empower organizations serving the homeless in Lane County to become resilient during a disaster.

Using the Prepare to Prosper model, agencies and individuals enhance their potential to carry out their mission during and after an emergency and continue to provide essential services to the most vulnerable in our communities. Local organizations are often the first and only resource available to those that are most vulnerable during a disaster. Having a trained, coordinated, and united response provides the foundation for the entire community’s recovery. When we set our standards to include the most vulnerable, we ensure that all members of our communities are part of the emergency and recovery plans after a disaster.


Amber Fossen
Public Information Officer
Lane County Government
125 E. Eighth Ave.Eugene, Oregon 97401
(541) 682.3718
(541) 359.9143 (cell)