BELLOWS FALLS — Lead Safe & Healthy Homes has been selected as the recipient of a $7,000 from United Way of Windham County.
The funds will be used to promote healthy housing in Windham County by providing free, in-home assessments to families with pregnant women or children up to six years old. The assessment will include evaluations for safety, allergy triggers and indoor air quality. It also includes testing for carbon monoxide, and lead dust.
“This program aims to provide families with the knowledge and resources they need to provide safe and healthy environments in which children can grow to their full potential,” program director Michelle Pong said in a news release. “We believe that parents are motivated to provide healthy environments, and that, armed with the right information, they can be very successful.”
Pong says that Windham County one-year-olds are experiencing among the highest percentage of elevated blood lead levels in the state. Healthy Home assessments are designed to identify lead hazards before a child is poisoned.
In addition to free Healthy Home Assessments, LS & HH will provide free resources to improve hazards.
“It's not our intention to load parents full of information and solutions that don't work for them,” says Pong. “Instead we aim to provide families with material solutions to existing problems.
“For example, high lead levels require appropriate cleaning; we will lend you a HEPA vacuum designed for the job. Smoke detectors are essential for safety; we will provide them if a home is in need. The ultimate goal is to eliminate health and safety hazards in the home, whatever they may be.”