NORTH PORT, Fla. — In North Port, Hurricane Ian left widespread destruction, including leaving the Kiwanis Club without a place to call home.
The storm also put their donation drives in serious jeopardy.
“We had built up new clothing. We had a new standard. We had new stuff to give. We were going to celebrate on Oct. 1 the new grand opening,” Elaine Allen-Emrich said.
Allen-Emrich is the president of the Kiwanis Club of North Port and walked ABC Action News through what would have been the club’s new community closet building.
The roof was torn off during Hurricane Ian, and all the clothes inside were destroyed.
“We’re just going to keep doing it, just going to keep going,” Allen-Emrich said.
So unsurprisingly, the Kiwanis Club is ready with a storage unit full of supplies they will give away on Saturday, Nov. 12. The supplies range from clothes to cleaning supplies and other household items.
For more than 30 years, Allen-Emrich has led the club, and she’s never let any disaster halt what they do.
“We give away five free outfits every week," she said. "When you’re told you have to shut down, those kids are still having that need, and we’re not going to stop giving them what they need."
That’s why, thanks to the generosity of ABC Action News viewers and on behalf of our ABC Action News Gives Campaign, we presented Allen-Emrich and the Kiwanis Club of North Port a $10,000 donation check to help replace items lost during Hurricane Ian.
Allen-Emrich told ABC Action News that getting $10,000 is like winning the lottery because, with so few volunteers, it would take them years to raise that much money.
The event on Nov. 12 is going on in front of North Port High School. Clothes and school supplies will be available to those in need.