When you work hard, give fully of your heart, people notice.
Over the past three weeks since Hurricane Ian, hundreds of volunteers joined hands with Better Together in getting help to those who could not access it. When we called, you said yes. Together, we were boots on the ground within 24 hours of the storm. At one point, more than 300 people scoured Suncoast Estates to meet needs door-to-door. You’re still saying yes.
People are noticing, including First Lady Casey DeSantis.
Today, at the end of aisle 10 in The Home Depot off Bee Ridge Road in Sarasota, the First Lady of Florida presented Better Together with a $400,000 check to help us continue to help families impacted by Hurricane Ian.
Better Together is one of five organizations to receive the first round of funding from the Florida Disaster Fund, a private fund established to help Floridians recover from Hurricane Ian. We are truly honored. When we think about the good this will do in our community, it brings tears of joy.
Our volunteers and supporters are the reason we’re getting this support. We have always done great work, but after Hurricane Ian, the need was so overwhelming, the hurt could not be ignored. So we called on our volunteers, donors and community partners. You came out in force, and people noticed. None of this would be possible without all of you.
Our team is like a generator. For us to power others, we need fuel. Every hour volunteered, every dollar donated, energizes our team and gives us fuel to power a community. When we’re running on fumes, you say yes, you give, and you renew our energy.
Every time Florida Department of Children and Families Secretary Shevaun Harris walked with us and knocked on doors, our energy renewed.
Every church who said, “Yes, how can we help,” who opened their doors and their congregations to families and job seekers, fueled us.
Every time a family smiled and exclaimed, “You came back,” their gratitude renewed our energy. Helping a family and then seeing them return the next day as volunteers supercharged our momentum.
Our work is not done. We are still going into hard-hit communities like Suncoast Estates, Arcadia and Harlem Heights. Many families still need our energy. It will be a long recovery. But today’s good news is a win for our volunteers and supporters. We hope it fuels you as we continue to recover together.
Give Help: https://bettertogetherus.org/give-help
Get Help: https://bettertogetherus.org/better-families/apply-for-help
Posted October 21, 2022
