ROCHESTER — The Greater Rochester Health Foundation has awarded a nearly $100,000 grant to the Coalition to Prevent Lead Poisoning.
The coalition will use the $96,200 grant to hire staff and provide lead poisoning prevention, education and outreach throughout the Finger Lakes region, according to a press release from the foundation.
Through efforts to raise awareness about lead poisoning over the past decade, the area has seen an 81-percent decrease in the number of children diagnosed with elevated lead levels in their blood, according to local health officials.
To continue that pattern, health officials urge homeowners to test their children for lead exposure, which is state law. Additionally, they say that anyone who owns a home built before 1978 should get the house tested for lead and make sure any renovation or painting work follows federal guidelines.
For more information, visit www.letsmakeleadhistory.org or call 585-224-3125.
