PEMBROKE PARK, FLA. (WSVN) - As the Panhandle works to recover from the devastation caused by Hurricane Michael, South Florida is continuing efforts to gather supplies to help the victims.
7News cameras captured workers at Feeding South Florida’s Pembrole Park facility, Monday afternoon, as they organized donated items to be shipped off to victims in the area.
The nonprofit said the entire effort has been made possible thanks to the generosity of people from South Florida.
“They’ve responded with not only the willingness and desire to volunteer but also with a lot of products, from manufacturers to retail stores to distribution centers to growers,” said Paco Velez with Feeding South Florida.
The organization has three trucks full of food in the northern part of the state, and it’s sending more on Tuesday.
“It turns out they really don’t have a lot of power. As a matter of fact, a lot of the homes have been destroyed, so it looks like a lot of the families are going to have to live in shelters for at least two more months,” said Velez.
Donations have been pouring in, but a host of items are still needed.
“Many families have been displaced … and are going to need the food and the water to really get by in those shelters,” said Velez.
Among supplies in high demand are:
- pop top can meals and soup (pop top cans are items that do not need a can opener)
- cereal
- peanut butter
- instant soup mix
- granola bars
- water
- personal hygiene items
- cleaning supplies
- diapers
- batteries
But Velez said the need for donations goes beyond food.
“It takes a lot of fleets to go back and forth and move product to these smaller warehouses in order to get them to those families, so monetary donations are huge, especially to Feeding South Florida and/or smaller sister food banks,” he said.
WSVN donated $25,000 to assist with the organization’s relief efforts last week and another $25,000 Monday.
“On behalf of Feeding America, thank you so much,” said Sari Vatske, Executive-Vice President of Feeding South Florida, as she accepted a check from WSVN Vice President and General Manager Paul Magnes.
“We want to make a difference for our neighbors up in the north, and this is a great way to do it,” said Magnes. “Feeding South Florida has just been a great organization. We’re happy to partner with them.”
Magnes said, when it comes to a crisis like aiding victims of a major hurricane, South Floridians know the importance of helping out.
“We see it as we saw last year, now in the Panhandle this year, if we can make a difference, that’s what we want to do,” he said.
Multiple South Florida agencies, including Miami-Dade Fire Rescue and Miami Beach Police, have traveled north to help with search-and-rescue efforts.
Meanwhile, Aventura Police has been collecting donations to be sent to the Panhandle and is reaching out for more.
“Here in South Florida, we’ve certainly had many, many hurricanes, and we’ve had a lot of victims,” said Aventura Police Sgt. Chris Goranitis, “and we were lucky this hurricane season, so this is a way that we and our citizens can give back to people who are in a badly, badly devastated area.”
The public is encouraged to donate whatever they can to Feeding South Florida’s main warehouse in Pembroke Park, daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (closed Sundays).
The address is:
2501 SW 32nd Terrace
Pembroke Park, FL 33023
If you’d like to help Feeding South Florida sort items to be taken to the Panhandle, the organization is opening its doors to the community to help on Tuesday from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Pembroke Park warehouse.
Feeding South Florida is looking for volunteers with a commercial driver’s license (CDL). It is also hiring drivers with a CDL-A license to drive tractor-trailers over 26 feet long. If you would like to apply, send an email to operations@feedingsouthflorida.org.
For more information or to donate online, click here.
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