In 2020 I took a slew of girls trip, one of my favorites being Fort Myers Beach. We stayed across the street from the ocean and sailed the intercoastal and enjoying sunset on the beach every night.
As you know last week, Hurricane Ian destroyed this little piece of paradise. Many families are without homes, cars, and basic necessities.
As a Florida native, I have been through hurricanes numerous times, but nothing hits quite like this one. Knowing that the track was projected to a be a direct hit towards Tampa Bay and then curving at the last minute not only provides tremendous relief for my community but it also provides extreme guilt and sadness to our neighbors down south.
If you have the means whether it me time or money, please think about contributing to Hurricane Ian relief efforts. And if you need help finding a place to start see any of these great organizations for more information.
Donations to the American Red Cross help the organization provide food and shelter to families affected by the hurricane, provide medical care for anyone that needs it and assess damage and help families to develop recovery plans — along with a host of other services.
The Salvation Army provides “food, drinks, shelter, emotional and spiritual care and other emergency services” to hurricane survivors and rescue workers, its website notes. When you support Salvation Army disaster services, “100% of your donation is applied to the disaster relief operation you select,” according to the group’s website.
For those that would like to donate to an animal charity there is Wings of Rescue. Locally the shelters of Fort Myers and the surrounding areas is going to be stressed by the volume of locals surrendering their pets. To help Wings of Rescue will fly pets in need, out of Florida to locations with available space.
The Florida Disaster Fund is the State of Florida’s official private fund established to assist Florida’s communities as they respond to and recover during times of emergency or disaster. In partnership with the public sector, private sector and other non-governmental organizations, the Florida Disaster Fund supports response and recovery activities.