Beach Baptist Church continues to help Fort Myers Beach community

A beacon of faith and a landmark for volunteerism.

The Beach Baptist Church on Fort Myers Beach is still giving out supplies and hot meals on a daily basis.

Even though some parts of Fort Myers Beach are bustling, some parts are still desperately in need of help.

“We hand out food supplies, water, cleaning… when we get tools and gloves like that,” said Beach Baptist Church Pastor Shawn Critser. “We’re putting out turned 50 meals a day at lunch, about 70 breakfasts.”

Critser said he is glad to do it.

Food banks gift the church food and supplies, and then the church gifts the supplies to people who need them.

“There are about 50 to 60 clients that come through here every single day,” Critser said. “While there’s music and dancing or whatever is going on. We have to coexist.”

Fort Myers Beach looks like it’s back. People line the beaches every day, and music and drinks flow in the shell of Times Square that remains.

“I’m happy that the tourism is back. I’m glad people are coming to the island,” Critser said. “I’m glad that that that’s happening. But we can’t forget that you just move a mile down and the scenery changes. There’s still people living in houses with tarps wrapped around them as their outdoor walls.”

But there are still so many people on the beach who need help.

“We couldn’t be doom and gloom all over. But we just can’t forget that this is still happening all over,” he said.

Critser said it’s becoming difficult to find pallets of water.

“If you just want to donate stuff, we take anything except for clothing,” Critser said.

If you want to donate to the church, you can drop off supplies at the church on Connecticut Ave in Fort Myers Beach.