WIMAUMA, Fla. — Hillsborough County is adding more comfort stations for people still dealing with the aftermath of back-to-back hurricanes. This comes as several multi-resource agencies across the Tampa Bay area are closing.

What You Need To Know

  • Hillsborough County opened 8 comfort stations across the county

  • Comfort stations opened Oct. 18, and since then have fed more than 11,000 people

  • Wimauma residents are turning out in numbers to wash clothes and receive a free meal

  • Comfort stations are open daily from 7 a.m. - 7 p.m.

As communities continue to rebuild after the storms, Hillsborough County wants to make sure they’re not alone, by offering eight comfort stations. For residents in Wimauma, it means a weight off their shoulders as they try to navigate this tough time.

That’s the case for Egnolia Vazquez. “Right now I am going to eat this delicious food, and I’m thankful for this because they’re providing this for us,” she said.

It’s as simple as giving a meal to help residents get through the day after impacts from Hurricane Milton.

“I sought refuge because where I live there are a lot of trees and I was scared. So I stayed somewhere else and my family and I were left with no light for six days,” she said.

She had to walk to one of the comfort stations from her home because she does not have a car.

Other residents, like Marin Eladio Robledo, rode his bike.

He said the recent hurricanes impacted so many people in his community.

“There hasn’t been a hurricane like this before. So strong that it destroyed homes, power outages and has left many of us economically unstable without a job,” he said.

His home also suffered damages, and he came to pick up food for his family. His only source of income is collecting cans and selling them.

Food is yet another financial weight off his shoulders.

Hillsborough County opened the stations on Oct. 18 and since then has provided meals for more than 11,000 people.

They also have showers and a resource many people have been using, the washers and dryers.

Aimee Guerra depends on this to get her clothes clean.

While the county continues to provide this resource, she said she’ll come as often as she can.

“It’s expensive to wash and getting to the washer, some people don’t have transportation. So this is close, and the school is right there, so when families come pick up their kids it probably helps,” she said.

It’s a community with residents facing similar challenges and looking to get back to a thriving place with a little bit of help and hope.

The comfort stations will remain open daily from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. until further notice.