TAMPA, Fla. — A free and reduced-price vacation retreat for veterans in Ruskin is preparing for its third hurricane strike in the past year.  

My Warrior’s Place suffered surge damage last August during Idalia that damaged as many as four cottages and mobile homes on the property, the laundry facility and the retreat’s fitness center.

After thousands of dollars in repairs, renovations and volunteer man hours, My Warrior’s Place was expecting to be fully operational by Oct. 15, but Helene pushed even higher surge amounts into the retreat, taking owner Kelly Kowall back to square one. 

“We don’t know,” Kowall said. “We don’t know. You know, where is the storm going to hit, we don’t know. You know we don’t even know how devastated the area is going to be, so it’s not just us.”

My Warrior’s Place relies almost exclusively on local donations to operate, and because Milton threatens a devastating blow to the Tampa Bay area, Kowall is worried that local donations will dry up, and those that volunteered to help rebuild after Idalia won’t have time after Milton.

My Warrior’s Place has scheduled a fundraiser for Oct. 19 at the Elks Lodge in Ruskin, but that is not contingent on damage from Milton.

Kowall is steadfast in rebuilding again, regardless of what Helene left behind, and what Milton may deliver.

“All I know is this place has made an impactful difference on so many lives, that it is worth getting back up off the floor when you’ve been knocked out, to rebuild,” Kowall said.

View more information on My Warrior’s Place.