BATON ROUGE - The East Baton Rouge Council on Aging has announced they’ll begin the distribution of fans and air conditioner units as part of its annual “Beat the Heat” drive.

Last year, the agency says they collected more than 800 fans and A/C units to distribute to needy senior citizens in the parish. Estimates for this year’s drive easily exceed that number.

DRIVE CRITERIA

Criteria in place for being eligible to receive the donated items include the following:

• Only one fan or A/C unit will be distributed per household
• Agency Care Managers must perform an assessment within the home

Once eligibility is confirmed, the agency will distribute the donated items at the EBR Council on Aging’s main location at 5790 Florida Blvd. from 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. beginning on Thursday, June 23. The distribution drive will continue until the end of summer.

Individuals coming to collect items must bring proper identification. The agency says they are also still accepting donations of new fans and A/C units. They may be dropped off at the same location as pickup for the drive on Florida Boulevard.

For more information on the Beat the Heat Fan and Air Conditioner Drive, visit www.ebrcoa.org or call 225-923-8000. More details about the drive are also available on the Beat the Heat drive Facebook page.