Mayor Demings and Cesar Londono-Jaimes giving a thumbs up

Valencia College Student Presented with Orange County Appreciation Award for COVID-19 Testing Volunteer Work

Community & Services

Mayor Jerry L. Demings and Orange County Health Services Department recently presented 20-year-old Cesar Londoño-Jaimes with a volunteer award in appreciation for his commitment to serving Orange County residents during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Londoño-Jaimes, a mechanical engineering student at Valencia College, reached out to his aunt, Daniella Sullivan, and asked if he could help with Orange County’s COVID-19 community testing efforts. Sullivan, who serves as the health administrator for Orange County Health Services and oversees all of the County’s testing sites, suggested he assist with making and distributing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) kits at the testing sites.

“He had a real desire to help without expecting anything,” said Sullivan. “I hope every leader gets a chance to work with volunteers like Cesar. I’m extremely proud of him.”

Since starting his volunteer work at Orange County’s testing sites, Londoño-Jaimes has logged more than 400 hours and put together more than 12,000 packets of PPE, which include face masks and hand sanitizer and also included important information and resources on COVID-19.

“I grew up in Venezuela, where I learned from my family that I need to be an active part of the community,” he asserted. “My parents taught me that people need to help each other.”

He admits he did not have much experience working with large groups of people, but seeing how much they appreciated his volunteer hours at the test sites, made it a lot easier and fun.

“I want to volunteer because by doing so I’m indirectly helping myself, my family, my neighborhood, my city and my county,” said Londoño-Jaimes, who wants to use his medical engineering degree to design prosthetic devices for people in need. “Besides, instead of being quarantined at home watching TV and doing nothing, I’d much rather go out and help other people.”

Since late April 2020, Orange County Health Services has been rotating its locations weekly throughout the County offering free COVID-19 testing to all of its residents. Visit ocfl.net/Testing and click on #1 on the testing map to find its current free testing location.

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