PASCO COUNTY, Fla. — Goodwill employees shopped for Hurricane Michael victims staying in Pasco County on Friday.
The evacuees are temporarily staying at the Fasano Regional Hurricane Shelter. They needed special assistance or have medical needs.
Donna Heaton and her father, Donald, live in Panama City. She said they have stayed at a number of shelters and are unsure when they will go home.
“Our house is still there and our metal roof is still there, but there [are] just lots and lots of trees everywhere,” Donna Heaton said.
Goodwill decided to help by asking those evacuees what they needed to get by right now. Those employees then went to two nearby stores to go shopping for clothes and other items for them. More than 30 Goodwill employees were involved in today's event.
“Whatever we can do for them is nothing like what they went through. We were talking to some of them and they’ve been moved to two or three shelters. It’s just…it’s just terrible,” Goodwill Store Manager (Spring Hill), Barbara Devito said.
Goodwill staff said they planned to help about 40 hurricane evacuees today and each employee could spend up to $100 per person.
“They don’t know when they’re going back home (or) what their homes look like, (or) if their homes are even still there,” Devito said.
Donna and Donald Heaton are grateful for the help they have received at each shelter and also today by the Goodwill employees who went shopping for them.
“It means everything. It means that someone cares,” Donald Heaton said.
