MIAMI – On July 1, 2020, the same day Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez announced he will be signing an order requiring the public to wear a face mask in public at all times, the County’s Senior Advocate for the Mayor’s Initiative on Aging Teri Busse-Arvesu, who also serves as a board member of the Elder Affairs Advisory Board (EAAB), and Joshua Ho, Program Director of the Asian-American Advisory Board (AAAB) received a donation of 5,000 masks. The generous donor was Dr. Yao Yan, President of the Chinese Association of Science, Education and Culture of South Florida (CASEC) with the coordination efforts by Dr. Jim Yu, AAAB Board Member and Dr. Li Gurau, AAAB 2nd Vice-Chairwoman. Miami-Dade Public Housing Department Director accepted the donation destined for the elderly public housing residents.

The new Miami-Dade County executive order requires people to wear masks or face coverings while outdoors. Since seniors are vulnerable and enjoy walking to stay active, they need the masks more than ever. For that reason, the Elder Affairs Advisory Board is participating in a mask drive which has so far donated an additional 500 masks to the County’s Community Action and Human Services Specialized Senior Centers and a total of 6,000 masks to seniors living in County public housing facilities.

The Elder Affairs Advisory 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. Follow the Elder Affairs Advisory Board on Facebook and Twitter.

The Asian-American Advisory Board was created to serve in an advisory capacity to the Board of County Commissioners, administration, community, and all agencies in Miami-Dade County, with respect to matters pertaining to the Asian-American community. Follow @mdcaaab on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

For more information on this event, please contact Asian-American Advisory Board Director Joshua Ho at 305-375-1570; for information about the Elder Affairs Advisory Board and if you are able to donate masks, please email Katherine Bolt or call 305-375-3025, and for high resolution pictures, please contact Griselle Marino at 305-375-1585.

The Office of Community Advocacy is charged with making Miami-Dade County "One Community" that embraces our diverse and unique population. Follow @AdvocacyMDC on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.