PASCO COUNTY, Fla. — One Hudson farmer is going beyond to help his neighbors. He opened his home to friends who lost everything from Hurricane Ian, and now he’s sharing his farm with them too.
We first introduced you to Bud earlier this week when he decided he would add more chickens to his roster to help combat the egg shortage. We found out that all along, he’s been helping his friends of nearly 50 years get back on their feet.
"They had a travel trailer and I told them just pull it into my lot here and temporarily you can be able to stay as long as you want need to get your house fixed up," homeowner, But Dunklin, said.
Johnny and Gena lost nearly everything after Hurricane Ian destroyed their forever home in Fort Myers..
"We were flooded.... We had about three or four inches of water and the water became contaminated with mold. And I haven't been back since I left," Johnny Rigol said.
Rigol is not turning back but turning to a friend who he may bicker with over coffee, but is always there to help anyone in need.
"He's the most altruistic man I've ever known... He doesn't charge us rent here. We got this trailer to live in temporarily until a house is repaired. But you know how the repairs are going in Fort Myers," Rigol said.
And, while Johnny’s home is no longer recognizable, their friendship of nearly 5 decades is.
"It was a mess. I went down there with them a few weeks after the hurricane and it looked like a war zone. And believe me, I've been in one so I know what it looks like," Dunklin said.
"Life goes on, and we've enjoyed the heck out of it. We enjoy it we get to see Buddy and Donna," Rigol added.
As for Buddy, giving back is something he said he’ll never stop doing.
"We feel that this is our ministry, not only to help friends and people like Johnny, but also to help the community," Dunklin explained.
