MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. — After last year’s hurricanes, a lumber and hardware store on Anna Maria Island has been essential in helping the community recover — despite facing a rebuilding process of their own.

When demand is high, Joey Garbus works even harder.

“Since day one after Helene, it’s been ridiculously crazy. So many customers,” he said. “And then we’re getting about five or six semis of material every single day.”

Garbus is the manager at Island Lumber and Hardware, a business that has been in his family since 1982.

“It’s almost like a second home for me here,” he said.

He says it has been nonstop work since the hurricanes. The family worked hard to reopen on Sept. 30 — just four days after Hurricane Helene flooded their hardware store.

Garbus says the storm surge damaged two of their forklifts, and they lost two dumpsters’ worth of supplies.

“We’ve got two feet of water in the whole store, so we lost everything up to here,” he explained, pointing to the height of the water during Helene’s storm surge.

One fast-selling item for island residents: doors.

“But they’re coming faster than we can get them out, so they’re overflowing,” he said.

Garbus says his family’s business has always been there for the community, but recently, he feels they’re helping more than ever before.

“It’s been super tough, but it’s very rewarding. Helping people with their homes, people who have been devastated, it puts a smile on their face and on ours. We’re here to help,” he said.

It’s that service Garbus and his family provide to help their fellow residents rebuild their island homes.