RIVERVIEW, Fla. — The "thank you" notes came in all colorful shapes and sizes: homemade cards, princess crowns, Spider-Man drawings, and heartfelt journal entries.
Sessums Elementary in Riverview was one of the hundreds of Tampa Bay schools that turned into shelters for Hurricane Ian.
When teachers and students finally returned this week, they found a lot of love waiting for them.
Their hospitality, compassion and kindness were returned by the hundreds of evacuees who found a safe haven at Sessums.
Everywhere a note of gratitude:
"Thank you for letting us use your markers and toys."
"You have a lovely room."
"You made me feel brave."
"God bless."
The people who work here, and the people who stayed here, might never meet. But their bond, through loving correspondence, will live forever.
Sessums was one of the dozens of locations opened up to evacuees by Hillsborough County Public Schools.
Teachers and students left arts and crafts and words of love and encouragement for evacuees. One banner greeted guests: "I am stronger than any storm."
"I wanted people to feel safe and welcome, and I know it's really hard feeling displaced by a storm," said Lindsay Donovan, a kindergarten teacher at Sessums. "It felt good to be able to help my community."
