ST. JAMES CITY, Fla. — The St. James City Civic Association has been a staple in the community for six decades. The not-for-profit serves as a gathering place for events on the island.
However, it's in desperate need of public support after one of its septic tanks collapsed during a storm in August.
President Cena Hamby told FOX 4 Community Correspondent Victoria Scott that the COVID-19 pandemic and Hurricane Ian took a hit on membership numbers.
You can watch Victoria's report here:
Hamby said it currently has fewer than 100 members.
Donations and membership fees are how it stays afloat.
"Pine Island is about the size of Manhattan," Hamby said. "The Civic Association with our 1.8 acres here, our children's park, our adult exercise park, it's like the Central Park of this island. It's vital – we cannot lose it. If we do, we've lost the heartbeat of the island. We really need donations now."
You can contribute to this GoFundMe page. The public can also send checks directly to their P.O. Box at 605 St. James City 33956.
The not-for-profit is accepting refrigerators and construction work from business people, as Hamby said they lost their refrigerators from flooding. Their tables and chairs also got flooded.
