GLADES COUNTY, Fla. — As Glades County works to recover from the destruction brought by Hurricane Milton, volunteers and the school district are coming together to help families in need.
Volunteers have been working around the clock to get food to those affected by the storm. Last week, a series of tornadoes destroyed dozens of homes, leaving many struggling to rebuild.
Now, the Glades County School District is stepping up with staff and volunteers to pack hundreds of meals, one box at a time.
Watch Fox 4 Community Correspondent, Mahmoud Bennett's report here:
“We probably had 25 to 30 people show up, from school board members to local residents,” said Mark Wilson, who works in food service and is helping with the effort. “We couldn’t keep up with putting the food out fast enough," he added.
Wilson said they've already packed more than 2,000 meals for the community. He described Glades County as a humble place worth fighting for.
“People don’t take anything for granted,” he said. “When we show up, they’re so appreciative of everything we’ve done. It’s what I do. It’s what I’m here for. The kids and the community — it’s why I drive an hour each way every day," he added.
Glades County School Superintendent Dr. Alice Barfield said volunteers will take the meals, pair them with a cupcake, and distribute them street by street. It’s a small but important effort for a community that’s beginning a long road to recovery.
“We had so many community members who were just blindsided by this,” Barfield said. “You prepare for a hurricane, and you’ve heard of tornadoes, but we’ve never seen anything like we saw last week," she explained.
Barfield said meals will continue to be served through Tuesday at the Ortana Community Center, Lakeport Christian Church, Buckhead Ridge Community, Moore Haven, and Muse.
“This is going to impact us for years,” said Barfield. She added, “It affected crops, it affected seasons. Glades County is strong, and we’ll pull through this because we care about each other and want to see each other succeed.
