Charles Garavaglia, a lifelong Miami resident and retired Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) employee, recently participated in a hurricane preparedness initiative aimed at supporting seniors in the Allapattah community. Alongside other FPL volunteers and retirees, Garavaglia helped distribute hurricane meal kits at the Allapattah Community Center. The event was organized in partnership with the Florida Council on Aging and United HomeCare.
“At FPL, we always emphasized getting involved and giving back to the community,” said Garavaglia. “As a lifelong Miami resident, this was an opportunity to do just that.”
Garavaglia spent 38 years with FPL before retiring from his information technology role in October 2022. He began his career as a summer intern in engineering and continues to stay connected with former colleagues through the NextEra Energy Miami-Dade County Retiree Chapter.
“I think it’s just a good thing to do. It’s the right thing to do to help,” said Garavaglia. “You can’t just dismiss all those relationships, and I’ve always been a big fan of FPL. It’s a way of staying connected with a company that I really enjoyed working for.”
The meal kit distribution focused on seniors who may face challenges such as limited mobility or fixed incomes, making it difficult for them to prepare for storms on their own.
“The help that FPL gives us is essential and really appreciated. I hope they continue to do it because it’s something that is desperately needed, especially for the seniors in our community,” said Adrian Rosario, a senior who received a kit.
Each distributed kit included three days’ worth of shelf-stable meals and water as well as storm preparedness information. This effort is part of FPL’s broader statewide initiative targeting vulnerable populations during hurricane season.
Garavaglia noted the importance of community involvement: “I think community is what you make of it. If you want to participate and get interested in what’s going on, you can do that, and if you want to keep to yourself, you keep to yourself.”
In addition to volunteering with FPL initiatives, Garavaglia serves as a certified ombudsman with the state of Florida where he advocates for elderly residents in assisted living facilities.
FPL’s efforts reflect its longstanding presence in Miami—serving customers there for 100 years—and its commitment not only to providing electricity but also supporting local communities through various programs. As hurricane season continues, these activities aim to ensure residents are prepared for potential severe weather events. For more information about hurricane readiness resources offered by FPL, visit FPL.com/storm.