We are so thankful that we escaped much of the devastating damage from Hurricane Matthew, but our friends to the north did not. One of the many communities in North Carolina that have found themselves in a position of needing extra help is the community of Hatteras Island. Hatteras Island is a community of under 5,000 residents. The elementary and secondary schools that serve this community have suffered immeasurable loss from the recent storm. The secondary school had 5 feet of water standing in the building and the elementary school had a high population of family displacement. Early devastation totals are estimated at 46.2 million dollars in damages with 4,500 structures in need of repair or replacement.
This small community is relatively isolated by our standards. To replace bedding is much more than a quick trip to Walmart. The closest Walmart to Hatteras Island is an hour and a half away. Losing the use of your stove means more than just a quick drive to McDonalds or Wendy’s as both restaurants are also an hour and half away. As part of our Gator Kids Give Back Initiative, we would like to host a household and school supply drive. We will begin accepting donations immediately and will be hand-delivering the items on Saturday, November 5th to this devastated community.
As a special heart to heart outreach we would also like to invite the FDES children to write messages to the kids of Hatteras Island, maybe pictures, well wishes, and kind thoughts. As adults, if you would also like to send a special message of hope and restoration, we would love to deliver them for you. We will have a special box for all messages, letters, pictures and inspirations.
Please click here for items that we are requesting and will be delivering on November 5th.
