Santa Delivers $20,000 To Local Area Nonprofits For COVID Help

LAKELAND, FL — AT&T delivered $10,000 checks to two Lakeland nonprofits on Friday morning in response to their community work during the coronavirus pandemic.

Lakeland Volunteers in Medicine and Peace River Center were recognized for its essential support to the Polk County community.

Lakeland Volunteers in Medicine provides free healthcare to the working uninsured in the county. A challenge this organization has faced this year was a financial cut to the pharmacy program's grant, an AT&T spokesperson said.

"COVID-19 has hit everyone hard, especially our not-for-profits," Matt Mucci, regional director of AT&T external affairs said. "Providing some assistance in the areas of medications and mental health counseling for these two pillar organizations in Polk County is something AT&T was willing to do without hesitation.”

Peace River Center (PRC) provides mental health services and substance abuse services. PRC is an essential mental health organization and has not stopped providing services during the coronavirus pandemic, officials said.

PRC shifted its service modality to provide access through telehealth to ensure all clients needing care received care while mitigating the spread of coronavirus. Extra precautions were taken to protect staff and clients with the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). These changes have impacted PRC’s operational budget, a news release said.

“These challenging times have engaged us to look for more innovative ways to serve our clients," Ileana Kniss, director of development and community relations, said. "We are so proud of our compassionate, dedicated staff, some who are still working on their own personal technology devices, and personal cell phones to provide care."

PRC said it will put AT&T’s $10,000 donation to work by purchasing laptops for outpatient staff who continue working remotely to provide therapy, medication management and more to thousands of individuals.