A more than $71,000 donation from the Hernando County Cares Act is helping The Early Learning Coalition of Pasco and Hernando counties to purchase PPE equipments and cleaning supplies. 

With boxes full of hand sanitizer, Lysol spray, Bright Beginnings Preschool office manager Alicia Bates said she’s thankful today.

“We don’t have the ability to get them in the large volumes that you guys have been able to get them to us," Bates said.

The boxes also have a new portable UV-C sanitizer for items like a computer mouse.

“All the other sanitizers and spray bottles and everything else has been so helpful," Bates said.

Bates is not only the office manager, she’s also a parent. She told Spectrum Bay News 9’s Katya Guillaume that this grant is a huge burden off of her shoulders.

“For the last several months, we’ve been going out each day and trying to find a can or two cans, so for them to be able to come and give us a shipment, give us a box every couple of weeks has been such a great help.”

Early Learning Coalition Executive Director, Steve Knobl, added, “Our job is to serve these young citizens and serve our early childhood teachers, so it’s very natural for us to do all the work that we’ve been doing and we’ll continue to do it as long as we have funds.”

Knobl also mentioned that he’s very grateful to have received these funds. And now that safety is taken care of, they can go back to focus on the curriculum.

“Prior to this, everybody’s mind, as it should’ve been, was on safety and protocols and things like that, and learning seems to be secondary," Knobl said. "It’s really critical for us, for our teachers and for my staff to be able to collaborate, work together for the teachers to be able to participate in training." 

The Hernando County Cares Act fund makes it possible for more than 60 businesses to receive some PPE equipment and cleaning supplies.