Charlotte County volunteers lend a hand to those affected by Helene

As communities clean up after Hurricane Helene and brace for more rain in the forecast, volunteers give much-appreciated help to those in need, showing off the camaraderie of Southwest Florida.

Volunteers went door-to-door, handing out flyers and providing any and all information they could to help people get back on their feet. As we know, many areas in Charlotte County were hit hard by Hurricane Helene.

“I think all of us have pretty fresh in our memory that we went through Ian, and we were most heavily impacted by that, so in my mind, these poor people are doing this again,” said Angela Hogan, CEO of Gulf Coast Partnership.

For some across Charlotte County, Hurricane Helene left damage similar to Ian.

“Actually had a friend whose back end of the house flooded, and actually, my street came pretty close to flooding,” said a young woman.

And because of that, volunteers took the time to help Charlotte County on Friday morning.

“I just know what it feels like to be in that situation, so I wanted to go back to the community and help those who were affected,” said the young woman.

Dozens showed up and were divided into groups in several areas across the county and got to work.

“Give back to your country, give back to your citizens and take care of people,” said one man.

Hogan, CEO of Gulf Coast Partnership, said the reason is to make sure those who are struggling or have experienced damage know there’s help.

“Share all of the things that are available and assess the needs so we can do a better job of our response,” said Hogan.

Volunteers are proud they could lend a helping hand.

“I thought it was gonna be me and my mom, but it was definitely a good turnout,” said the young woman.

Hogan also told WINK News that many volunteers are heading to North Carolina to help with recovery efforts there.