Rebuilding Together, a nonprofit organization whose goal is to rebuild homes, hosted a drive-thru event distributing thousands of free hurricane clean-up kits on Friday.
The kits included: cleaning supplies, tarps, ready-to-eat meals, hygiene kits, snack packs, and water.
Dozens of cars were waiting in line down Palm Ave. and Nuccio Pkwy. before the gates opened to grab supplies. People were grabbing cases of water and MREs and bringing them back to the bus stop.
East Tampa resident, Christine Hearns, was there to get supplies since her household power was out for five days.
“I think everything has been a little bit good and a little bit bad,” she said. “But through it all, we’re still here.”
“My power went out Wednesday afternoon, and it didn’t come back on until Sunday. Well, what a blessing it was to get it back on,””” Hearns added.
The event at Children’s Board of Hillsborough County in Ybor City was like a similar event in Pinellas County after Hurricane Helene, where organizers handed out more than 2,500 kits.
Hurricane clean-up kits are part of their secondary response to Hurricane Milton. Rebuilding Together has been collecting donations at its two distribution centers via semi-truck while first responders have been clearing roads and restoring power.
Their next step for long-term recovery will include vital home repairs such as restoring HVAC systems, flooring, drywall, and roof replacements.
Rebuilding Together’s goal is to revitalize communities and rebuild lives. It comes from a place of love for the community, according to COO Brandy Canada.
“My personal reason for being here is because I love to help in the community,” she said. “I actually grew up in a poverty-stricken area as a kid, so we didn’t have things we needed at times, so that’s what motivates me the most.”
Rebuilding Together partnered with other organizations making a local impact such as ToolBank Disaster Services, Sunshine Health, the Children’s Board, and Farm Share which retrieves unused food from Florida Farms and redistributes the food to folks in need.
Canada said the long-term recovery phase, including architectural fixes and supplies, could take up to seven years for the community to resume as normal from Milton and Helene.
Community members can still apply for assistance through Rebuilding Together through their online application for rehab and disaster assistance.
