Organizations from both sides of Tampa Bay came together on Sept. 19 to help members of St. Petersburg’s Jordan Park community get back on their feet following Hurricane Irma.
- Jordan Park hit hard by Hurricane Irma
- Feeding Tampa Bay, Tampa Bay Bucs, other groups stepped in
- Volunteers handed out supplies provided by groups
The sun was shining on the neighborhood Tuesday, but the devastation from Hurricane Irma still lingered throughout the neighborhood.
"There were a lot of trees down, the power went out, I'm pretty sure everybody's food was spoiled -- it was terrible," resident Amanda Collins said.
Jordan Park was hit hard during last week’s storm. Many residents were left in the dark, unable to go to work or give their families a hot meal. Much of their food went to waste.
Several Bay area Organizations, including Feeding Tampa Bay, Coca-Cola, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers joined forces with St. Petersburg's Mayor's office plus its Police and Fire Departments to lend a helping hand.
"We know people didn't work this week, so the biggest thing is they were only going to get paid a couple of days, so how can we bring food into the community?" St. Petersburg Police Chief Anthony Holloway said.
Members from Feeding Tampa Bay brought in pallets of food, while volunteers lined up assembly line-style to bag the food and water, then handed them out to families in Jordan Park.
Photo: Katie Jones, staff
"I think it's beautiful," resident Pat Wright said. "It's wonderful ... it's lovely that they're able to come out and help the community."
The residents’ sense of appreciation is what staff and volunteers said make their jobs well worth it.
"To me, this is a beautiful showing of the community coming together and helping everyone get back on their feet, chase their dreams and to make a difference in this world,” Feeding Tampa Bay's Clarissa Rain said.