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ST. JOSEPH — In response to community inquiries and offers of support, PACE of Southwest Michigan has established a drop-off donation site at PACE of Southwest Michigan, 2900 Lakeview Ave., St. Joseph. Donations will be accepted from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Founded in 2012 by community partners who identified a need for home-based, long term care services in southwestern Michigan, PACE SWMI serves adults over 55 who have long term medical conditions. PACE coordinates and provides all needed preventive, primary, acute and long-term care services so older adults can continue living at home in the community they love, according to PACE representatives.

While PACE currently has an adequate supply of masks and other personal protection equipment for treating participants, staff are meeting obstacles in acquiring new stock from our medical suppliers. Staff are accepting support from the community because they anticipate the need will continue to grow drastically over the coming weeks.

“PACE healthcare workers are caring for our PACE elderly in their homes 24/7 with unfailing dedi-cation and devotion to their health and safety,” said Therese Saggau, CEO of PACE of Southwest Michigan. “We are incredibly grateful for our community’s support during this time of uncertainty. We are living in a world that demands social distancing, but together we are bridging the gap and truly demonstrating the power of community.”

The following items will be accepted at the donation site:

• N95 Masks
• Isolation masks (adult)
• Goggles/safety glasses
• Bouffant caps
• Extended extra protection gloves – all sizes
• Isolation gowns
• Bleach wipes
• Pocket-sized sanitizer
• Thermometers (digital, disposable, temporal)

Traveling to drop-off sites to donate medical supplies does not violate Michigan’s statewide stay-at-home order, which allows for an exception to the order for providing necessities to “individuals who need assistance as a result of this emergency.” To reduce the risk of exposure for all, staff is asking donors to call (269) 408-4322 when they arrive at the drop-off site for further instructions.

At this time, PACE of Southwest Michigan I is accepting donations of hand-sewn masks that meet CDC requirements.

Anyone with a large donation requiring special arrangements or a question about a donation can email kellycalkins@paceswmi.org.