The HLAA-Lakeland Chapter (Florida) has applied for and received grants of $1000, $1000, and $15,000 to raise funds to support a growing advocacy program to provide hearing aids and professional services to fit them to children ages birth to six. They plan to use their ‘hearing aid recycling program’ to provide the hearing aids. The chapter has hired a contractor to develop a special application for their website called ‘The Hearing Aid Network’. The goal is to provide a secured system for local hearing aid providers to view their hearing aid inventory and make a request for a device to be provided at no cost to a financially-challenged patient. Arrangements have been made with a hearing aid franchise in the area to clean, inspect and inventory donated hearing aids. Outreach for support with this program is being done with funeral homes, estate planners and senior living facilities.
Submitted by Cynthia Moynihan, Chapter Leader