PALM HARBOR, Fla. — Dozens of families displaced by Hurricanes Helene and Milton were treated to a special surprise this Christmas, when an unlikely Secret Santa filled their hotel rooms with gifts and their hearts with joy.
Close to 40 families with children have been staying at the Palm Harbor Extended Stay since the hurricanes displaced them from their homes. Many of them were in fear that their kids wouldn’t have any presents to open Christmas morning until the assistant manager went above and beyond.
“It’s heartbreaking to see how many people have been displaced due to a natural disaster,” said assistant manager Ashley Elaine.
Elaine says over the past few months, she has grown from an assistant manager to part of the family for many of these hurricane victims.
“I have no kids of my own, so I was like the local auntie," Elaine said. "That was a big part of doing all of this. I got to hear their stories personally and know them better.”
Elaine took it upon herself to put out a call on social media for anyone in the community with a big heart and a little extra money to drop off a toy for Christmas.
“My goal was to at least see if we can get one present per kid," she said. "Palm Harbor residents showed up and showed out."
Elaine said within 24 hours, there were thousands of gifts piled up inside the lobby.
“It was incredible to see, and I always believed in the Palm Harbor community," Elaine said. "I always loved Palm Harbor, and I plan to set roots down here."
Eight-year-old Lucho was one of several children to receive a brand new bicycle.
“I'm very thankful for all these strangers giving toys and all this other stuff to kinds,” Lucho said.
Families at the hotel said they may have lost their house, but they’ll always have a home in Palm Harbor.
“This year was really challenging because we didn’t know how we were going to get gifts," Krystal Long, who is a mother of three, said, "We were blindsided and didn't know what to do."
Elaine said they had so many presents left over that they took them to hurricane victims staying at two other Tampa Bay hotels.
"I’ve gotten exhausted from FEMA. We’re 62 and 72 years old, and we’re on Social Security/Disability. What the hell does this country want from us?”
John King shared with ABC Action News the flooding in his Zephyrhills community - more than 3 months after Hurricane Milton.
