Hurricane Ian Relief Efforts Information

Oct 20, 2022

In response to the devastation from Hurricane Ian, JPMA Cares is sharing the below information from Safe Kids Southwest Florida for companies and individuals interested in donating or volunteering.



On the morning of Sept. 28, Hurricane Ian intensified into a Category 4 hurricane over the Gulf of Mexico, with maximum sustained winds of 155 mph, just shy of a Category 5 storm. Ian came ashore near Cayo Costa, which is in Lee County, Florida, at 3pm with maximum sustained winds of 150 mph, tying the record for the fifth-strongest hurricane on record to strike the United States. It was the strongest hurricane to hit Florida since Michael in 2018. It was also the first Category 4 hurricane to impact Southwest Florida since Charley in 2004. The storm moved very slowly at 8 mph.


Ian thrashed parts of Florida’s western coast, bringing intense winds, heavy rainfall, and catastrophic storm surges. A storm surge with inundation of an unprecedented 12 to 18 feet above ground level was reported along the southwestern Florida coast, and the city of Fort Myers itself was hit particularly hard with a 7.26 foot surge—a record high https://graphics.axios.com/2022-09-28-ian-surge/images/2022-09-28-ian-surge-tablet.png. The data also shows storm surge reached well inland in many areas. For example, an estimated nine-foot storm surge meant a foot or two of water spread miles inland in areas. Such high water helps explain in part why so many of the more than 50 deaths reported in Lee County – at least 30 – were attributed to drowning. The storm also knocked out power to more than four million customers in Florida. 


In Lee County alone, 5,014 homes are destroyed, 13,213 have major destruction, 14,074 have minor destruction, and 16,591 are affected. These numbers do not include commercial buildings. However when you combine commercial and residential property, the total cost for destroyed property is $529M, $3.5B have major destruction, $2M have minor destruction, and $847M are affected. Lee County is not tracking number of cars that are damaged however according to Cox Automotive estimates, the storm destroyed between 30,000 and 70,000 cars.


Led by Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida, Safe Kids Southwest Florida works to prevent unintentional childhood injury. Safe Kids Southwest Florida serves Lee, Collier, Charlotte, Hendry and Glades Counties area families. Through education, advocacy, training and hands-on demonstrations, Safe Kids Southwest Florida supports parents, educators, safety professionals, caregivers and the media with evidence-based data and injury prevention strategies on a variety of topics including prevention of pedestrian and bicycle injuries, burns, drowning, motor vehicle injuries and more.


Safe Kids Southwest Florida is seeking donations at this time to help support our community that are dealing with the devastation of Hurricane Ian.  We have many families that have lost their homes and have relocated in with friends, family members, and shelters. They do not have a safe place for their babies to sleep therefore we are asking for play yards. We are seeking car seats, as mentioned, many families lost their cars to flooding/storm surge, which included their car seats. We lost between 50 to 100 employee cars in the parking lot alone of Golisano/HealthPark due to flooding. We have helped over 20 of those staff members with car seats already. We lost 2 of our outreach vans and a trailer that pulled Safety Sam(Our ATV robot). Sadly, Safety Sam is destroyed as well.  Many pool cages are gone leaving pools exposed so we are asking for door alarms.  We are also seeking carbon monoxide detectors as even 3 weeks since Hurricane past, many homes are still without power and are using generators. My CO detector actually went off the day after the storm. I learned just how important this device is! 


Safe Kids Southwest Florida has checked in with many of our child passenger safety technicians and have already started distributing seats through some of our first responders partners that are technicians.  We could also use some support of any technicians if you have time to spare. 


If anyone is wanting to donate funds as we identify other needs, please donate online at https://leehealthfoundation.org/donate-now/ and in the drop down box, please ensure you click “other” and write in “Child Advocacy Department.” You can also send checks to Lee Health Foundation, Attn: Child Advocacy Department, 9800 S Healthpark Dr. Ste. 405, Fort Myers, FL 33908-3630. 


If you have any questions or wish to coordinate volunteering, please do not hesitate to contact Sally Kreuscher, at 239-289-5789, or Sally.Kreuscher@LeeHealth.org. Thank you for the consideration and time. 

For more information, contact Meredith Birkhead at mbirkhead@jpmacares.org.

4 Organizations Partner to Champion Safe Sleep for Babies

20 May, 2024
MT. LAUREL, N.J., MAY 20, 2024 — JPMA Cares , the nonprofit foundation of the juvenile products industry, announced it’s launching a Safe Sleep Campaign in partnership with Cribs for Kids , First Candle , and Safe Kids Worldwide . The campaign aims to deliver easy-to-understand, consistent advice about safe sleep to parents and caregivers across geographies, ethnicities, religions, and cultures. “Each day, new babies are born, and we are on a mission to ensure their parents and caregivers have the knowledge and resources they need to make safe sleep decisions for these young children,” said JPMA Cares Board of Directors Chair Rick Schaub. Tragically, each year in the United States, about 3,400 babies die from sleep-related deaths, and underserved communities are impacted disproportionately. “In many cases, these deaths are preventable,” said Lisa Trofe, who serves as the executive director of JPMA and JPMA Cares. “Our pilot program will educate parents and caregivers on safe sleep practices and distribute safe sleep products like play yards to those who need them.” JPMA Cares’ focus on safe sleep falls squarely within the organization’s mission: Creating better outcomes for infants and toddlers by reducing preventable injuries and deaths and providing families in need with donations of time, talent, and product. JPMA Cares selected partners for this Safe Sleep Campaign based on their areas of expertise. For example, Cribs for Kids is an organization that educates parents at the hospital on the importance of safe sleep for their babies and provides portable cribs to families in need. “Our shared mission, centered around reducing infant mortality related to preventable sleep-related deaths, concentrates on providing safe sleep spaces and free programming through our network of more than 2,000 partners nationwide,” said Cribs for Kids Founder & CEO Judy Bannon. “We believe these are key elements that root families in their safe sleep commitment.” Another partner is First Candle, an organization that reaches the underserved through its free Let’s Talk Community Chats where families can share their challenges and concerns about safe sleep and breastfeeding. “We are thrilled to join this collaboration to help inform and support all families in their efforts to provide a safe sleep space for their babies and understand the proper use of infant products,” said First Candle Executive Director & CEO Alison Jacobson. “Through our community-led initiative, Let’s Talk Community Chats, we know families are eager to receive this information from trusted sources, and we’re excited to be able to deliver it.” Additionally, Safe Kids Worldwide will join the collaboration. Safe Kids is an organization working to reduce unintentional injuries and deaths of babies and children through an extensive network of more than 400 coalitions in the U.S. “We know a safe sleep environment every night and every nap can save lives. However, the field faces challenges in supporting parents to ensure that happens,” said Torine Creppy, president of Safe Kids. “We have a tremendous opportunity to join with like-minded partners to find new and innovative ways to reach all communities, to discuss inequities impacting sleep safety, and to make a meaningful difference for the families who need us most.” Anyone can learn more and get involved in the Safe Sleep Campaign by visiting JPMA Cares’ website at jpmacares.org . There are opportunities to volunteer, donate, and advocate to keep babies and toddlers safe. “The more people who contribute time and money to this Safe Sleep Campaign , the more markets we’ll be able to reach,” said Schaub. “Together, we can impact more families and more communities, thereby saving more lives.” About JPMA Cares JPMA Cares is the philanthropic arm of the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA) and the broader baby and children’s products industry. As a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, JPMA Cares aims to create better outcomes for infants and toddlers by reducing preventable injuries and deaths and providing families in need with donations of time, talent, and product. Media Contact: Kali Peterson JPMA Cares kpeterson@jpma.org

JPMA Cares Elects New Directors to Nonprofit Board

17 May, 2024
MOUNT LAUREL, N.J., MAY 17, 2024 – JPMA Cares, a charitable organization founded by the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA) and supported by the broader baby and children’s products industry, is pleased to announce its newly elected Board of Directors. The JPMA Cares Board of Directors provides strategic guidance to the foundation, which aims to create better outcomes for infants and toddlers by reducing preventable injuries and deaths and providing families in need with donations of time, talent, and product. The newly elected directors are as follows: Emily Alexander, Safety Advocate William MacMillan, Retired Judy Meehan, The Giorgio Foundation Sarah Shell, Geddy's Mom Bardia Sergent, Greenberg Traurig, LLP Robert Waller, Association Headquarters Chuck Wilke, Meridian Capital Continuing officers and directors are as follows: Rick Schaub, Chair, Dorel Juvenile USA Joe Shamie, Vice Chair, Delta Children Jason Somerville, Treasurer, GW Partners Torine Creppy, Safe Kids Worldwide Chloe Kontos, Amazon Luanne Whiting-Lager, Regal+Lager Kelly Voelker, Kelly Voelker & Associates “This is an exciting time for JPMA Cares,” said Lisa Trofe, executive director of JPMA and JPMA Cares. “I’m thrilled to have this talented group of individuals serving on our board. Together with key partners, JPMA Cares is launching a Safe Sleep Campaign aimed at educating parents and caregivers on the safest sleep products and practices for babies and young children. This board is leading the charge to combat sleep-related deaths, which impact about 3,400 babies each year in the U.S. It’s a large and tragic challenge, but I’m confident we have the right people in place to make a real difference for babies nationwide.” To learn more about JPMA Cares, visit jpmacares.org . About JPMA Cares JPMA Cares is the philanthropic arm of the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA) and the broader baby and children’s products industry. As a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, JPMA Cares aims to create better outcomes for infants and toddlers by reducing preventable injuries and deaths and providing families in need with donations of time, talent, and product. Media Contact: Kali Peterson JPMA Cares kpeterson@jpma.org

37 Children Die in Hot Car Tragedies Each Year; Learn Prevention Tips Today

01 May, 2024
MOUNT LAUREL, N.J., May 1, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today marks National Heatstroke Prevention Day, and in recognition, JPMA Cares and Safe Kids Worldwide (SKW) are reminding parents, caregivers, and neighbors about the dangers of heatstroke and sharing strategies to prevent child injuries and deaths in hot vehicles. Since 1998, an alarming 969 children have been killed in hot car tragedies—an average of 37 children each year. Thousands more have survived with varying types and severities of injury. These tragedies have occurred regardless of parent or caregiver education, profession, income, and other demographics, and all could have been prevented. Heatstroke occurs when the body is unable to cool itself quickly enough. Young children are particularly at risk, since a child's body heats up three to five times faster than an adult's. When a child's internal temperature reaches 104 degrees Fahrenheit, major organs begin to shut down, and when their temperature reaches 107 degrees, the child can die. Hot car deaths have occurred when the outside temperature was below 60 degrees, because vehicle interiors become much hotter than outside temperatures. Research shows the temperature inside a car can heat up 19 degrees in just 10 minutes. Cracking the windows does not slow the heating process or significantly decrease the maximum temperature of a vehicle. "Half of hot car deaths occur when children are inadvertently left in vehicles by caregivers, and these cases typically follow a change in routine," said JPMA Director of Child Passenger Safety Joe Colella. "With easy behavioral changes, parents, caregivers, and neighbors can prevent these horrible tragedies." A common scenario is that a parent may intend to drop a child off at daycare. Once on their way, the parent begins thinking about driving or the many things on their to-do list. If routines have changed, the parent is tired or stressed, or there are other distractions, the parent may head directly to work or home. Without a visual cue, they unknowingly leave the child in the vehicle. "Safe Kids Worldwide, JPMA Cares, and other injury prevention groups are committed to ending these preventable tragedies to babies and young children," said SKW President Torine Creppy. "Whether you are a parent, a caregiver, or a concerned bystander, we're calling on everyone to be part of the solution and help save lives." Beyond the children inadvertently left in vehicles, a quarter of hot car deaths occur when a small child enters a vehicle on their own, the door closes, and the child becomes trapped in the vehicle. Parents, caregivers, neighbors, and bystanders can prevent hot car deaths with the following steps: Never leave a young child alone in a car, not even for a minute. Look before you lock—develop a habit to check the rear seat each time you park the car. Lock your vehicle's doors, and keep your keys and key fobs out of children's reach. Ask your neighbors to do the same. Create reminders. Put something in the back of your car that you'll need at your final destination such as a phone, briefcase, or purse. Arrange for your childcare provider to contact you right away if your child hasn't arrived as scheduled. If you see a child alone in a car, call 911. Emergency personnel wants you to call. They are trained to respond to these situations, and one call could save a life. For more heatstroke prevention information and useful tips, visit safekids.org/heatstroke or jpmacares.org/car-seat-safety-tips . About JPMA Cares JPMA Cares is the philanthropic arm of the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA) and the broader baby and children's products industry. As a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, JPMA Cares aims to create better outcomes for infants and toddlers by reducing preventable injuries and deaths and providing families in need with donations of time, talent, and product. Learn more and get involved at jpmacares.org . About Safe Kids Worldwide Safe Kids Worldwide is a nonprofit organization working to reduce unintentional injuries to children ages 0-14 and build equitable and sustained systems that support injury prevention. For more information, visit safekids.org .
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