ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — United States Congresswoman Kathy Castor honored four St. Pete residents Friday. Congresswoman Castor is recognizing Hurricane Heroes, people who stepped up to help out following the hurricanes we saw come through this area in 2024.
Shore Acres residents Kevin Batdorf and Matt Thorn, and Riviera Bay residents Courtney and Brad Stein were recognized Friday.
Neighbors nominated all four, citing the work each did to lift the community following the storms.
Chanell Wolski nominated the Steins.
"They just are phenomenal. They helped everyone in so many different ways. They organize food to be delivered and cooked and ice to be delivered and supplies. They open up their home, and we have lovingly dubbed it 'Stein Mart,' to just allow people just to come in," Wolski said.
The Steins' home flooded, just as most of the neighborhood did. However, they stepped up to help clear other homes, offer free supplies and food right from their very own gutted home, and lend any support necessary.
"2024, for a lot of people, was the worst year of our lives, and that was like, the little bit of sunshine that I can say was like sprinkled to me," Wolski said.
The Steins say it was all made possible because it was a community-wide effort.
"We ended up handing out over $40,000 worth of supplies to St. Petersburg, to Riviera Bay. We cleaned out over 66 homes that we were able to muck out. We re-drywalled some of those," Courtney Stein, who serves as the Riviera Bay Neighborhood Civic Association Vice President, said.
Stein continued, "But, you know, during the days that followed, Helene and Milton, you know, I think the most beautiful thing that we saw was, firsthand, that the community coming together."
Over in Shore Acres, a similar effort unfolded.
Matt Thorn used his home as a staging area for food, supplies, and any relief his neighbors may have needed after the storms.
"I think we've served a little over 23,000 meals since September 26, distributed more than 20,000 bottles of water and Gatorade, and it has been a community effort to make that happen. We've just been the conduit of it, but it is a team effort all around," he said.
Mike Harting, a St. Pete City Councilmember and the CEO of 3 Daughter Brewing, commended the work Thorn and Batdorf, who also serves as the Shore Acres Civic Association President, did for their neighbors.
"They set up a network of folks to go help older folks who couldn't clean up their own houses. They put on things in the park, in the local park, just to get everyone out and enjoy some time with each other. They absolutely, Kevin especially, advocated at the city level, the county level, and the state level on his own for help for the community and Shore Acres," he said.
Batdorf has been vocal about bringing necessary change to Shore Acres, a community that regularly experiences flooding and drainage issues.
He says his work is all about seeing his neighborhood thrive.
"I don't do this for recognition. I do it because I have a passion for my neighborhood. I want to see it do well. I want to see my neighbors do well. And we've been through some crazy things the last couple of years. We just need to do better, need to get better, feel better," he explained.
He says that's a fight he won't give up on.
"What makes Shore Acres the best community anywhere is we actually talk to each other; we laugh together, we cry together. It's sometimes heartbreaking when tragedy hits us like these storms over the past couple years, but we're a resilient community. We're going to build back. We're going to build back stronger and better, and again, it's obviously the people that make the neighborhood, but the neighborhood is going to make us as well," he added.
Thorn wants everyone to remember that recovery isn't quick and that so many people are still putting the pieces back together.
"It's not just the few weeks after a hurricane. It is a monthslong, yearlong process, and it's important to recognize that it is all of us that need to be together for the long haul, not just in the weeks that follow a natural disaster," he said.
Riverview homeowner Sirrita Rubiano faces financial strain over a vinyl fence damaged during Hurricane Milton, which she believes belongs to her community.
