Hurricane Relief Warriors help clean up damaged homes across Tampa Bay area
TAMPA, Fla. - Widespread devastation can be seen in communities across the Bay Area that were impacted by Hurricane Helene , and then Hurricane Milton . Many people need help, and that's where the 'Hurricane Relief Warriors' are happy to rise to the occasion.
The group was founded by college friends, Kayla Jones and Taylor Parker, who originally recruited some friends to help people they knew who were impacted by Hurricane Helene.
"We were helping at friends' houses, or their parents' houses or their family's houses," Parker explained. "Then neighbors would see us and say 'Since you've got all these muscles and manpower, do you mind coming over and helping us out?' and we said, yeah, absolutely."
Before they knew it, their list of addresses grew, and they needed more volunteers. That's when the power of social media came in handy.
"We would just post on our Instagrams saying, 'Hey, we need even more hands, or muscles, or whatever you got, just get out here. So people were contacting us and we started a big group chat," Parker added.
Little did they know, the group chat that started with 30 volunteers would grow to over 300 in the span of a few weeks. Every day, the volunteers will split up and tackle as many homes as they can.
"So what we're focusing on is cutting up drywall, removing any damaged furniture and items within the homes, or anything that got wet, ruined, or soiled that could grow mold because that's very dangerous for the people to be living and breathing in," Parker said.
In the process, they've helped elderly people, veterans, pregnant women, and so many more that simply need help with demolition.
"A lot of these elderly people that we've been helping out don't have family here, they can't do these things themselves and have nobody to help them," added Jones. "So for us, just to get a giant crew of young, healthy, fit people in their 20s and 30s, to get all those things done for them, it's really special."
The warriors are not just cleaning up homes in Tampa , they've gone as far as Pasco County and all the way to Pinellas ; boots on the ground seven days a week.
"It's very emotional when we walk up to their door and we've had some people cry, which can be a tearjerker for us," Parker said. "But it's very rewarding to see the impact and difference that we're making for them and the relief that we create for them."
Since the 'Hurricane Relief Warriors' have grown so big, so fast, they recently partnered with local non-profit 'Hurricane Help Florida,' which was created by one of the volunteers, Kristen Seeley.
You can join them, along with other local promotional organizations like Tampa Baysic, Tampa Latest, One of Us, and Origins Ranch, as they host a fundraiser on Thursday, Oct. 17, at 511 Franklin in Downtown Tampa.
The event will start at 4 p.m., and by bringing a donation item, you'll be able to get a free drink ticket. Thirty percent of proceeds will go toward helping rebuild homes and providing critical resources to those in need.
If you'd like to volunteer with the Hurricane Relief Warriors, or need their assistance gutting your home,.
