Contact:

Mirna Chamorro

Mirna.chamorro@flhealth.gov

407-665-3374

Sanford, FL – The Florida Department of Health in Seminole County (DOH-Seminole) will host the Josh’s Benches for Awareness Ribbon Cutting Celebration. The event will take place on Monday, April 3^, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. EST, at:

The ribbon cutting celebration will raise awareness about suicide prevention. DOH-Seminole welcomes and encourages media members to attend the event.

The Jeno & Lois Paulucci Family Foundation (Foundation) has donated 10 benches to assist in promoting awareness of mental health challenges in our state. The Foundation is working with Seminole County Government and DOH-Seminole and is delighted to report two benches have been installed on the grounds of the DOH-Seminole main campus.

“The suicide hotline is an important tool in suicide prevention, counseling and connecting anyone in crisis to essential services,” said Donna Walsh, Health Officer for the Florida Department of Health in Seminole County. “We are honored to receive the donation of Josh’s Benches for Awareness that will help spread the word about resources available to our community.”

We invite you to come visit us at the county health department to learn more about our services and see Josh’s Benches for Awareness on our campus.

About Josh's Benches for Awareness Corporation

Josh’s Benches for Awareness Corporation is a 501(c)3 charitable organization dedicated to raising awareness on mental health issues and promoting suitable resources to remove the negative stigma surrounding the receiving of help. They participate in assemblies and speaker events to try and spread valuable info that will hopefully one day be incorporated into student curriculum. The benches that are built and installed serve as physical symbols that represent its talks, any local campaign or movement surrounding mental health, and are also safe places for students to refer to for help. The benches are bright yellow so that whoever notices them and reads them will know that they are not alone and that there is help out there for them.

About the Jeno and Lois Paulucci Family Foundation

The Jeno & Lois Paulucci Family Foundation mission promotes college scholarships, natural disaster assistance, mental health awareness, housing for individuals with lower income or homeless and helps eradicate food insecurities, especially for children. More than $350,000 have been donated for the people, animals and property that were affected by the tornadoes in Kentucky and Hurricane Ian in Florida. Additionally, over $50,000 have been awarded in scholarships to the University of Minnesota, Duluth. The Foundation is dedicated to a more productive life for the poor, disadvantaged and elderly.

About the Florida Department of Health

The Department, nationally accredited by the Public Health Accreditation Board, works to protect, promote and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county and community efforts.

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter at @HealthyFla. For more information about the Florida Department of Health please visit www.FloridaHealth.gov.