Hurricane Ian: Here’s What You Can Donate to Help Southwest Florida

Help is on the way to the Gulf Coast following the devastation left behind by Hurricane Ian.

Several local and national organizations and brands are stepping up to help in different ways.

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The Home Depot Foundation announced their commitment of up to $1 million to immediately help out with building back after the storm.

“At the end of the day, we are a community,” said Warren Cork, a district manager in South Florida. “We are committed to really supporting not just our associates, but our community as well. They’re the ones that provide us our business, and it's our commitment to make sure that were taking care of them and in times like this is when it really shows.”

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2,000 disaster relief kits are being distributed in southwest Florida. The kits, which include garbage bags, paper towels, cleaners, hand sanitizer, scour pads, gloves and N95 masks, will be distributed to people in need and those cleaning up after the storm.

The company says more than 100 of its stores had to close when the storm made landfall. Now, employees from all over the state are being deployed there to help out.

The city of Doral is joining the Global Empowerment Mission (GEM) in its efforts to help the west coast.

“It's definitely heartbreaking what occurred really just next to us,” said Maggie Santos, the communications director for the city. “We got lucky, but who knows when it strikes Miami. It’s really these moments when we have to come together as a community and help out. One day it could be us and we would want people to help us.”

You can drop off items until Thursday, Oct. 13, between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, at the following locations: Doral Legacy Park, Doral Glades Park and Morgan Levy Park. Scroll down to find a list of items you can donate.

Also in South Florida, Cuban restaurant chain Sergio’s is stepping up to help.

“People come together, and it's really what shows the best of Miami, the best of South Florida,” said Sergio’s CEO Carlos Gatizua.

Saturday, Oct. 1, is Croqueta Day, and they are donating the proceeds from their event to volunteerflorida.org.

“Hopefully we keep doing this more because it’s going to take a long time for the west coast to recover, years maybe,” he said. “Our goal is to never forget and help them out, it could be us in the future, right?”