Central Florida organizations step up to help communities after Hurricane Helene

ORLANDO, Fla. – As communities across Florida begin recovering from Hurricane Helene, organizations such as Second Harvest Food Bank and the American Red Cross are mobilizing to provide immediate assistance to those in need.

Dan Samuels of Second Harvest Food Bank in Orlando said the organization sent out approximately 500 disaster relief packs to the Tampa Bay area on Tuesday. In recent days, they have also sent thousands of meals to hard hit areas of Georgia, aiding hurricane recovery efforts.

“Right now, the immediate need is they need something to eat and something to drink,” Samuels said. He also said that while Central Florida experienced minimal impact from the storm, there is still significant recovery work to be done in other areas.

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“When we look at the disaster that happened because of Hurricane Helene, our hearts are broken. We want to do something to help,” Samuels said.

Samuels explained that different communities have different needs during recovery, and Second Harvest is focused on supporting sister food banks in impacted areas. Currently, much of the food being sent consists of snacks that don’t require electricity to consume.

“You may not have a roof or a home to put it in, or the ability to cook pasta even if it’s being provided. What you need in that moment depends on the situation,” Samuels said.

Meanwhile, Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staley and other deputies have traveled to the Big Bend region to offer their resources. Sheriff Staley, who has experienced hurricane devastation in his own community, said it’s important to pay it forward by assisting others in need.

“Eventually, we’ll have another hurricane come through Flagler County, and I’m going to be reaching out to other sheriffs like I have in the past,” Staley said.

Mike Brown of the American Red Cross urged Central Floridians to support relief efforts by donating to the Red Cross.

“The best way to help is to go to RedCross.org and click on donate,” Brown said. “Cash donations allow us to get services directly to the clients right away.”