When Hurricanes Helene and Milton barreled across the state over the last month and a half, they brought water and devastation with them. It has been a trying time for Hernando and surrounding counties, especially for communities like Ridge Manor that are seeing flooding from the Withlacoochee River.
Fortunately, several groups have taken it upon themselves to provide services for affected residents in the wake of this disaster. The response from the community has been incredible, with schools like Eastside Elementary hosting food drives on their campuses.
The school located near Hill-and-Dale has food for people and pets as well as clothes and pillows. As Eastside’s Principal, Dr. Mike Lastra, described it, they have a “fully-fledged grocery store.” When families in need approach Eastside for supplies, no questions are asked besides identification.
The school has partnered with Christ Lutheran Church, which already has a clothes pantry, to come out every other week and hold a clothes drive in the school’s cafeteria until 6 p.m. Dr. Lastra noted that Eastside was actually the first to set up a pantry on that end of town because they knew right away that “our community needed it.”
Many families have water up to three feet or higher in their homes and the children do not have access to hot meals except when they are at school. The Eastside principal also acknowledged that children do not like MREs. So, when not at school, the food drive allows kids to get snacks and regular food items to eat. At such a trying time, this helps bring a “sense of normalcy” back to their hectic lives.
Eastside also has bread items available, but those go bad quickly. If a loaf of bread nears expiration, Dr. Lastra and company will ride the buses to flooded areas with pre-made “PB&J bags” with all of the ingredients needed to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with some snacks mixed in.
Other local leaders are helping, too. Over the last week, School Board Member Mark Johnson has raised $3,350 for Eastside Elementary’s efforts. Joe Wolff, President of the Wellington Republican Club, has raised about $750 in his community as well. “It’s not about us,” Johnson stated. “It’s about what the kids need.”
Johnson posted about the drive on Facebook and advised anyone who wishes to donate to mail a check to Dr. Lastra and Eastside Elementary at the school’s address: 27151 Roper Road, Brooksville, Florida 34602. The principal added that there are even more leaders who have made it possible for this to happen. Below are just some of the individuals and groups involved:
Liz Casner – Tropic Shores Realty
Pattie Stepbach – Operation HeartFELT
Barbara Sprague – Community Food Bank
Angie Bonfardino-Walasek – United Way
Tom Garvin – Wal-Mart Distribution
YouThrive Florida
Methodist School Center
Brooksville Methodist
The Hardy Team
Westover’s Flowers
Other Hernando County Schools have chipped in as well, with each elementary school holding a food drive of their own to support Eastside’s mission. The entire operation has been a true “community effort,” Dr. Lastra noted. “When you think about everyone that’s poured into this to make this happen, it’s incredible.”
[Credit: Austyn Szempruch]
