Organizations step up to help Treasure Coast storm victims
Non-profits and businesses across the Treasure Coast are stepping up to help storm victims.
One example is an organization called Operation BBQ relief.
Since 2011, Operation BBQ Relief has set up in disaster areas and handed out much needed food.
In this case, Ed Dickson shut down his BBQ restaurant in Homestead to set up outside the Walmart on Okeechobee Road in Fort Pierce.
He arrived Saturday and will be there until Oct. 25 providing 5,000 meals every day.
"We want to make sure we can hand this food out to people that don't have food," Dickson said. "There's nothing worse than that."
Some meals they provide in bulk to neighborhoods or to organizations like the Boys and Girls Club.
Sometimes it's just handing a container of food to people who walk up to their stand.
"It's really much needed," Jesenia Casado said as she picked up a meal. "People have nothing. People are homeless."
"I think this is a wonderful idea for all the homeless and the people that need help," Pastor Herman Felton said as he grabbed some food.
A little farther north in Vero Beach, Lowe's announced it will activate its Bucket Brigade Thursday.
They'll be handing out cases of water and 560 buckets of cleaning supplies.
"There's a flashlight. There's some gloves, some garbage bags, some hand sanitizer, some sponges," said store manager Michael Wasserman.
Whether it's cleaning supplies, water or food, the goal for everyone is simply to help those in need.
"We go towards the storm," Wasserman said. "We're there for the customers. It's why we're there."
"Your heart goes out to them," Dickson said. "But we've been able to give them something to eat. And to me, that's the name of the game."
Dickson starts serving meals at 11 a.m. every morning and continues until all the food is gone.
To schedule a bulk order, call the Chamber of Commerce at 772-595-9999.
Lowe's will hand out supplies Thursday at 11:30 a.m. at their Vero Beach location at 6110 20th Street.
