COUNTY RESIDENTS can save money on prescription drugs thanks to a partnership between Riverside County, the National Association of Counties (NACo) and CVS Caremark PCS Health L.P. The NACo Prescription Discount Card Program helps residents save money on prescriptions not covered by insurance. There are no eligibility restrictions, and even prescriptions for your pets can be purchased through this program.

Residents who participate in the program will have access to more than 59,000 chain and independent pharmacies across the country and can save up to 30 percent on generic medications. In the eastern part of the county, nearly 25 percent of adults do not have any kind of healthcare coverage for some or all of their prescription drugs, according to a recent study by the Health Assessment Resources Center. In addition, nearly 23 percent of children up to age 17 living in Eastern Riverside County do not have any kind of healthcare coverage for some or all of their prescription drugs.

The county’s participation in the program does not cost the county or participating residents anything. To use the discount card, all you have to do is present it to a participating pharmacy along with your prescription. You can also use mail service for prescriptions delivered to your home. To receive your card, visit the Office on Aging or the Human Resources Department on the first floor of the County Administrative Center, 4080 Lemon St., Riverside. For more information, call 1.877.321.2652 toll-free or visit www.caremark.com/naco.

FIFTY VOLUNTEERS from several county agencies, the Mead Valley Community Center, and a youth advisory council collaborated to bring a “Breakfast with Santa” to area residents in December, the second time such an event has been held. About 460 people enjoyed eating a breakfast of pancakes and sausage, doing crafts, watching a puppet show and taking photographs with Santa at the Mead Valley Community Center on Dec. 13.

Participants included: the Mead Valley Office of the County Code Enforcement Department, the Department of Public Social Services, the Fire Department in Mead Valley, the Perris station of the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department and a local youth advisory council. Volunteers from the Mead Valley Community Center and the Economic Development Agency also participated.

Starbucks donated coffee, and Cesar Navarrete, director of Mead Valley Community Center, arranged for the food to be donated. Children enjoyed meeting Santa and Mrs. Claus and taking photographs with them. “We had volunteers doing everything from cooking to passing out the food,” said Elena Hermenegildo, who helped coordinate the event. “It was all basically a collaborative effort from the volunteers to put this event together.” The breakfast was open to the whole family but geared toward children ages 12 and younger.

LIVING IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA— home of earthquakes, fires and mudslides —means you always have to be prepared. That is especially true in Riverside County, where mountain residents live along the edge of the wilderness, and some desert dwellers enjoy the peace and quiet of remote locations far from the nearest emergency services.

One of the best ways to stay prepared is to assemble a home disaster kit that will ensure your family has what it needs to survive in the event of a major disaster. One component of such a kit should be a “grab and go bag,” which puts essentials at your fingertips if you have to flee your home. A home disaster kit ensures that you will be self-sufficient for 7–10 days in the event you are without running water, refrigeration and telephone service. Once you assemble the kit, keep it in a watertight container in an accessible location.

The kit should include:

• water—one gallon per person per day
• food—ready to eat or requiring little water
• hand-cranked can opener and other cooking supplies
• plates, utensils and other items needed for eating
• First Aid kit
• copies of important documents and phone numbers
• warm clothes and rain gear for each person
• work gloves
• disposable camera
• unscented liquid household bleach and an eyedropper to purify water
• personal hygiene items, such as toilet paper, feminine supplies, hand sanitizer and soap
• plastic sheeting, duct tape and a utility knife for covering broken windows
• tools, such as a crowbar, hammer and nails, staple gun, adjustable wrench and bungee cords
• blanket or sleeping bag
• large, heavy-duty plastic bags and a plastic bucket for waste
• any special-needs items for children, seniors and people with disabilities
• water and other supplies for pets

The grab-and-go bag is an important component of the home disaster kit. Preparing one bag for each family member, using a backpack or other easily-carried container, will ease your mind if evacuation is looming.

The bag should include:

• flashlight
• battery-operated radio
• batteries
• whistle
• dust mask
• pocket knife
• emergency cash in small bills and quarters for phone calls
• sturdy shoes, extra clothes and a warm hat
• local map
• water and food
• permanent marker, paper and tape
• photos of family members and pets for identification purposes
• list of emergency phone numbers
• list of any food or drug allergies
• copies of health insurance and identification cards
• extra pair of prescription eyeglasses, hearing aids or other such items
• prescription medications and first aid supplies
• toothbrush and toothpaste
• extra house and car keys
• any special-needs items for children, seniors or people with disabilities
• any items your pets would need

Also, explore online storage programs, either through Wells Fargo or another provider, for such thing as bank accounts, passports, wills and trusts, insurance documents, and stocks/investments.