NEW YORK — Five days since Hurricane Ian made landfall as a Category 4 storm, hundreds of families are trying to pick up the pieces as the recovery process continues.
In the close-knit community of Harlem Heights in Fort Myers, Florida, Ian decimated the area, leaving some homes and buildings submerged in several feet of water. Among them is the Gladiolus Food Pantry, which provides about 250 low-income families with food and household goods like diapers and toothpaste on a weekly basis.
After the hurricane, Gladiolus Food Pantry was flooded and the essential supplies inside the building were all destroyed.
“I mean, when the storm came, we lost power. We don’t have any water. I mean, my food is spoiling in the refrigerator,” Keyondra Smith, a local resident, said.
Neighbors and community members have since teamed up to pitch in at Gladiolus, handing out food and water to anyone who …