PEMBROKE PARK, FLA. (WSVN) - The need for supplies to help the victims of Hurricane Michael remains strong as the Panhandle works to rebuild.
Volunteers worked tirelessly at the Feeding South Florida headquarters in Pembroke Park to prepare supplies for the devastated area, Thursday.
“We have a whole slew of volunteers in three different rooms packing meals, packing cleaning supplies, packing hygiene items,” said Paco Velez of Feeding South Florida.
They have already sent several trucks filled with food donated for those devastated by the hurricane in the Panhandle.
“Right now the Panhandle really needs food and supplies, and non-food. Everything, diapers,” said volunteer Sarah Brown, “and so we’re just doing extra stuff so that we can help out in our community.”
South Floridians are helping in several ways. Task forces from Miami-Dade Fire Rescue have been on the ground in Mexico Beach after the storm struck. A second wave of help is also making its way up north.
“Some of these folks in the community have lost everything,” one MDFR firefighter said. “They’ve lost their homes, their belongings, even their way of transportation, so they can’t even go out and get some of these basic supplies.”
The Broward Sheriff’s Office sent 20 deputies to the hardest hit areas. Local law enforcement there are exhausted and need hep just to patrol the streets.
“We can be handling calls for service, we can be handling accidents, we can be handling looting,” said Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel. “Our people are prepared. They’re trained for this.”
7News has also pitched in, donating $50,000 to Feeding South Florida.
“Volunteers come from the community that want to be involved, want to dig in, want to get their hands dirty, and it would really help our neighbors up in the Panhandle,” Velez said.
Some volunteers felt the need to help their neighbors up north.
“We wanted to do something. We were really concerned about the people up in the north of Florida,” said one volunteer.
The families affected will need continuous help. For more information on what you can do, click here.
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