Benton Harbor To Provide Hand Sanitizer, PPE To Residents

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The city of Benton Harbor is giving out personal protective equipment and hand sanitizer to residents thanks to $250,000 in federal funds it’s receiving through the CARES Act. During a Monday virtual meeting, Mayor Marcus Muhammad said the city will buy hand sanitizer, N95 masks, and gloves for all residents. City Manager Ellis Mitchell said those items are not easy to come by.

“We are purchasing where we can find the items,” Mitchell said. “They are scarce, to say the least, but every now and then we find a place, and when we find it, we jump on it.”

The federal CARES Act included $5 billion for Community Development Block Grant Coronavirus funds. Benton Harbor is a regular recipient of Community Development Block Grant funds. The goal in Benton Harbor is for the city to provide PPE to every resident.