ST. PETE BEACH, Fla. — After Hurricane Helene, many Pinellas County residents found themselves needing some help, and one St. Petersburg woman says she felt compelled to do just that.

Jennifer Leland created the Hurricane Helene Helpers: Pinellas County Facebook group to help those looking for help find those who are offering it.

What You Need To Know

  •  Jennifer Leland created the Hurricane Helene Helpers: Pinellas County Facebook group

  •  She says it serves as a way for people impacted by Hurricane Helene to connect with people offering help

  •  Leland said she plans on keeping the page going for the long term

“It’s incredibly sad," she said. "It’s a gut punch to see so many people who’ve — if their stuff is all out here, that means they can’t be in there. You can just smell it here."

Leland lives inland and said the damage at her home was minimal, but she’s felt “survivor’s guilt” ever since. 

“I just felt like this is my neighborhood, this is my home, and I want to give back," she said. "I feel like terrible that I can’t help all of my friends, but maybe I can find a way for everybody to get some help.”

Her way to help was creating the Hurricane Helene Helpers: Pinellas County Facebook group, as way to connect people needing help with people like herself who are offering it.

“Whatever you need, like, if you need someone to help you with laundry or something, feel free to post it there," she said. "And I have people all over the county who can jump in and offer support."

Leland met John Adams Friday while passing out Gatorade and offering her help. 

Adams had 4 feet of water in his home and he said he’s been through a range of emotions.

“It’s the difference between feelings of total despair and feeling like there’s actually a path forward and a way out of this," he said. "That’s the way I felt the first day I was here trying to tear out the walls. And I was all alone and I worked on it for a couple hours and I thought, 'I can’t do this.'"

Since then, though, Adams said his perspective has changed, thanks to people like Leland.

“It changed my perspective and I was optimistic, and I was in a better mood," he said. "So yeah, it makes all the difference in the world. Everybody who’s like her that’s doing that is making an impact."

Leland said whether it’s a bottle of Gatorade or facilitating a connection to meet someone’s need during this tough time, she’s committed to helping the place she calls home recover. 

Leland said she plans on keeping the Facebook page up for a while, because friends and neighbors will likely need the help for months to come.