Hendry Sheriff Help Hardee County

LABELLE, FL. (Aug. 22, 2004) -- Early Sunday morning, August 15, Sheriff
Worley received a call from a volunteer counselor in Hardee County pleading
for assistance. It was explained to Sheriff Worley that the residence in
Hardee County were out of food, and they still had more people that had not
eaten in two days. Under the direction of Sheriff Steve Worley and Major
Terry Woods, the use of semi-tractor trailers, owned by Tracy Martinez and
Charles Chance, have been used for the transportation of food and other
goods to Hurricane Charley victims. Approximately seven and half hours
later, Sheriff Worley, Major Woods, staff and volunteers along with four
semi-tractor/trailers, a box truck owned by Sun Quest Shed, patrol cars and
additional trailers loaded with supplies departed for Hardee County. The
response from the community was overwhelming. Volunteers could not load
the trailers fast enough; even the general public was heard asking to help
load the trucks.
Lori Andrea, a private citizen responded to the Hardee County area on
Sunday, with the first convoy that responded to the hard hit area. Ms.
Andrea who personally witnessed the devastation in that area went back to
the Naples area and together with Costco and many volunteers, they have
managed to collect more than $75,000.00 worth of items to be taken to the
victims. She is now working on the fourth trailer, and currently another
member of the Naples community has donated the use of his
semi-tractor/trailer and is working with Sams Wholesale in Naples. These
Inland areas received Category three hurricane winds or possibly stronger
destroying a great deal of what was had by those that lived there.
So far the Sheriffs Office has taken eight tractor/trailers to Hardee
County and two, to Desoto County. Calls for assistance requesting,
specifically, food items at this time are still coming in. Most of the
non-perishable foods delivered to this area are gone. It is estimated that
in the Wauchula area alone, there are approximately 8,000 hurricane
victims.
It was reported to the deputies unloading food on Wednesday that the items
brought on Tuesday, were what got the residents through Wednesday and what
the Sheriffs Office was leaving was all that they had.
Again, we are reaching out to the public asking for your assistance.
Although the EOC manager has requested donations through the American Red
Cross these people need help NOW, they are hungry. If you can, please help
these victims by dropping off canned non-perishable items at the drop off
points located at the Hendry County Sheriffs Office Headquarters located on
Bridge Street in LaBelle, Florida or at the Hendry County Sub-Office in
Clewiston, or items may be purchased and loaded onto the
semi-tractor/trailers at either Costco or Sams in Naples, or dropped off.
PLEASE NO CLOTHING.
Please allow us to remind you that these items are immediately taken to a
designated area as requested by members of the Emergency Operation Center
in Hardee and Desoto Counties where they are easily accessible to the
victims. They are not placed in a distribution center to await
disbursement.