ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – A variety of organizations in the Bay area are stepping up this holiday season to help families devastated by the back-to-back hurricanes.
One office located on Indian Rocks Beach affected by flooding is holding a toy drive to benefit other hurricane victims.
It shows how they are helping while facing their own challenges.
One of the families benefiting from this event spoke to Spectrum News to tell us about the dire need most are still facing weeks after landfall.
Kathryn Burke showed us dramatic pictures of her flooded home, retelling a bit of their Helene horror story.
The family home’s Ring camera also showed how the water outside kept elevating to the point of breaking into the home and causing widespread damage.
They saw it all play out while they had evacuated to higher ground.
Kathryn and her family live in north St. Pete.
By now the images of torn up drywall and gutted homes are a daily occurrence in news stories and that is almost two and half months since Helene.
But we are now about two and half weeks from Christmas.
And whatever Helene did not destroy inside the Burke home—came crashing down outside by Milton.
“Obviously you see here we had a big, huge palm tree here,” said Kathryn as she pointed to the part of the house with a damaged roof. “Milton’s wind blew our palm tree into our home.”
The storm displaced the family from their home which they just re-did three years ago.
“We had new appliances, we had new everything, and we were really proud of it,” she said. “So, when we were told we had to put everything thrown out to the front and all our hard work went out to our lawn, it was devastating.”
Items inside the house were uninsured.
“So, we have no content coverage, nothing,” she said. “So, everything that was lost…was lost.”
A microwave is the single appliance left.
There is still doubt whether Kathryn can save other items such as a pile of clothes, toys, and sheets in her son’s room.
“We don’t even know if we can salvage these or not” she said. “We just haven’t had time.”
Kathryn said it is heartbreaking to see whatever remains of her son’s toys.
She also has a teenage daughter who lost everything in her new bedroom.
She described it as a feeling of helplessness.
“And I can’t make it better for them right now,” said Kathryn. “You know I’m trying my best. I can say we got the rental.”
Kathryn is still counting her blessings, though.
She knows there’s goodwill out there.
“Christmas is coming up right now and we don’t have the financial ability to give our kids Christmas like any other year,” she said. “So, the organizations, the funds that are going to help people like me or people who lost more than we did, it’s amazing. It’s truly just a blessing.”
The donations are making it better for her kids and family.
The list of struggles they are overcoming is long.
They are driving a longer distance to get to school.
Dad has picked up a second full-time job to make ends meet.
Family and friends have pitched in to help, but it is still much to overcome.
Holiday Events Benefiting the Community
The Biltmore Group’s toy drive is happening Saturday and Sunday at 350 Gulf Blvd. from 1 pm to 4 pm.
The event is happening again on Saturday and Sunday of Dec. 14 and Dec. 15.
Another event benefiting children this holiday season is happening in Tampa.
The Rotary Club of Tampa, Walmart, and Hillsborough County Public Schools have partnered to provide elementary-aged school children with gifts of school uniforms, new clothes, and coats.
The Rotary Club is shopping for the items over the coming days and delivering all those gifts on December 10.
An event in central Pinellas is also helping hurricane victims next week.
The Largo Art Association will give beautifully framed and valuable unframed art as well as pottery to those who lost so much during Helene and Milton.
That is happening at the Largo Community Center at 400 Alt. Keene Road, from 11 am. To 2 pm on Friday, Dec. 13.