LAKELAND, Fla. — A Lakeland woman’s idea to give away items to families experiencing hardship during the pandemic, is now helping thousands of people in need.
The items in a south Lakeland storage unit were all donated by community members and will soon find a new home.
“They are things that one member would have, and they want to gift to someone else. No strings attached,” said Tracey Dannemiller, creator of Anchors in the Storm.
Dannemiller began collecting donations at her home three years ago when people in the community fell on hard times because of the pandemic.
“Originally started in my neighborhood with a table out in the front yard with a sign that my then 9-year-old granddaughter made,” said Dannemiller.
She realized just how great the need was and created a Facebook group called Anchors in the Storm. Today the group has nearly 9,400 members, with people needing help and people able to help.
"We had a car gifted to one of our members. The lady that donated that, her grandmother had died and the grandfather didn’t want the car anymore and she wanted it to go to a single mom," said Dannemiller.
Tuesday, expecting mother Cherri Scott picked up items for her first baby girl.
"A blessing to have this community, especially for people who are in need. In hard times like this, everyone is in need in some type of way," said Cherri Scott.
The storage unit was also gifted but Dannemiller has run out of the resources to pay for it.
"Sat back and thought that maybe the season for Anchors in the Storm is over, but I don’t have that clarity yet because there’s so much good being done. I do live on the south side of Lakeland, and we really would need a storage unit on the south side."
She is hoping the community will step up like they always do and be the anchors in the storm once again.
“Just to see the community to come together and rally together with no expectation at all but to simply help people,” Dannemiller said.
