By CAROL KENT
Washington County Council On Aging (COA) received a much-needed boost to serve more senior citizens needing to enroll in its Home Delivered Meal Program on Thursday.
Thanks to a $6,000 Florida Power & Light grant, the agency is expanding its program to service more home-bound senior citizens by more than 10 percent.
“I am so excited to call clients on the waitlist, and let them know they can now be added to the meal program,†said Michael Brown, Executive Director of Washington County Council on Aging Inc. “This means we’ll be able to feed more seniors who are in need of support.â€
The home-delivered meals are frozen and delivered directly to the door by local volunteers, providing the seniors with good nutrition, Brown explained.
The donation was made through the NextEra Energy Foundation, which invests in nonprofit organizations throughout Northwest Florida with programs directly related to the company’s mission of building strong and sustainable communities and improving the lives of Northwest Florida residents through promoting well-being.
“We are humbled to be able to support Council on Aging’s mission by providing much-needed financial resources to assist with the expansion of their senior meal program, playing a small part in the vital mission they are doing,†said Tracy Andrews, FPL external affairs manager.
The donation is one of five second quarter FPL Foundation grants totaling $40,000 awarded to nonprofit organizations in Escambia, Santa Rosa, Bay and Washington counties intended to make a positive impact in their communities. FPL awarded $35,000 in grants to six nonprofits in the first quarter of 2023.
KINSLEY COOK 
GARRETT VALCOURT