Ongoing Work to Prepare for Hurricane Season
These new actions build on our history of pioneering work to help communities prepare for hurricane season. Starting in 2006, we launched efforts with Feeding America® and Direct Relief to better prepare for hurricane season by storing nutrition and healthcare products at clinics and food banks in high-risk areas. These "disaster relief packs" are designed to proactively get the right products, to the right places – before a disaster hits. Ready to be used within hours, the packs provide the first wave of aid until traditional relief efforts arrive and provide ongoing support.
Food Banks on the Front Lines
Abbott and Feeding America have provided nutrition disaster relief packs to local food banks in areas at risk of hurricanes, including Florida, Louisiana, Puerto Rico and Texas. Designed to be given directly to families affected by disasters, the packs can meet immediate nutritional needs for three days. Tailored to different family sizes, the packs contain Abbott nutrition products for children and adults, including Pedialyte® rehydration solutions, Ensure® and PediaSure® nutrition drinks and ZonePerfect® bars. Altogether, 4,000 packs will provide rapid nutrition support for 12,000 people.
The packs will be stored at food banks in key locations, ready for use in hours after disaster strikes.
Community Clinics Meet Urgent Needs
This year, Abbott will continue working with Direct Relief to provide supplies for disaster relief modules that are sent to 78 health clinics that provide community medical care across the U.S. Southeast and Gulf Coasts, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
In the first year of the partnership in 2006, the Direct Relief modules contained only Abbott products. Today, the modules also include donations from many other healthcare companies, providing clinics with the key first aid supplies and medicines they need to treat 100 patients for three to five days after a hurricane hits.
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