Lee County charity loses donation pod after complaint from local realtor

Doug Miller and Amy Eldridge watched as their storage pod was towed away, marking the end of an era for their charitable efforts.

The pod, which had been crucial to their work since Hurricane Ian, allowed them to distribute millions of dollars in necessities to those in need.

“Everybody that does this. It takes a lot of time, energy, effort and money to give away stuff. It’s not easy,” said Miller.

During the interview, a donor arrived with multiple bags of clothes destined for the pod. However, with the pod gone, the items were stored in a trailer instead.

The donor mentioned the sad reality that someone in need would have taken the clothes within hours if they could have been left out.

“Instead of helping, he’s sitting here making it harder on the people that live around here and some of the people that we help out,” said Miller.

Miller, the founder of FK Your Diet, a restaurant that provides meals for those who cannot afford them, shared a story of how they responded to a call for a mattress delivery.

“We got a call, somebody needed a mattress. Amy drives and delivers the mattress. You know, it’s a sheriff, it’s a teacher, it’s a nurse. SWFL is hurting bad,” said Miller.

Miller contacted the man who filed the complaint about the pod, questioning the motivation behind it.

“Who’s gonna take their time that they have go around and look for people that are breaking some code that they don’t even know they’re breaking, and then file a complaint down at the city,” said Miller.

Russel Rands, a local realtor, filed the complaint.

“I’m trying to sell houses down the street. I’m getting feedback from people that have no idea what the area is like. That was a part of my complaint,” said Rands.