Community First: American Red Cross
Exposed palm bud in the wake of Hurricane Irma.
June 1st marks the beginning of another hurricane season here in Florida, and in this month’s edition of Community First, we’d like to celebrate the disaster relief work done by the American Red Cross.
It is unusual for us to invest our support in a national organization, rather than a local one, but certain situations warrant resources beyond our scope. In 2017, Hurricane Irma affected nearly every one of our clients. Fortunately, we collectively suffered minimal damage. But we know that is not the case for everyone in the path of a storm, and that summer was particularly devastating to our neighbors not only in Florida, but along the Gulf Coast, and certainly in Puerto Rico.
We donated a significant portion of all landscape maintenance fees during the months following Hurricane Irma to the efforts of the American Red Cross. Donations help volunteers to distribute water, food and relief supplies in impacted neighborhoods; help those who need first aid or medical care; provide clean up supplies; create recovery plans to get families back on their feet; and meet housing needs for those whose homes were most seriously damaged.
In addition to these donations, members of our staff and crews volunteered their time to visit clients, families, and friends, and help local efforts to remove debris.
For insight on how you can help your landscapes be prepared for the 2019 hurricane season, please visit this article in the Sarasota Herald Tribune, in which Michael was interviewed after the storm. And to donate to the efforts of the American Red Cross, please visit their website here.
