Rising Above after Hurricanes Helene & Milton

Rising Above after Hurricanes Helene & Milton: Relief, Resilience, and Community in the Face of Devastation

In 2021, we decided to move to St. Petersburg, Florida. After Mike's gruMike'sbattle with pancreatic cancer treatments and the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, we needed a fresh start to fulfill Mike's dream of living in Florida. St. Petersburg became our home—a place where we could slow down, reconnect, and embrace the warmth of a new community.

We never imagined that just three years later, our lives would be upended by a storm that left our home and our community in ruins.

On September 26th, Hurricane Helene struck, bringing catastrophic flooding to our neighborhood in Shore Acres. Despite our efforts to prepare—securing the house with sandbags, tarps, and sealants—nothing could have prepared us for the 28 inches of floodwater that surged into our home. In a single night, we lost nearly everything: decades of family memories, all of our belongings, our two cars, and the home we had worked so hard to build.

That night was terrifying. I found myself waist-deep in sewage-filled water, working to save what little we could while making plans for the worst-case scenario. I told Mike and our friend Dylan, who was staying with us, to get into the attic with our pets, prepared to cut through the roof if the water continued to rise. The flood stopped before it reached that point by some miracle, but the damage was done.

The water finally receded after 14 excruciating hours, but our lives had been turned upside down. Our neighborhood, Shore Acres, was unrecognizable—80% of homes were destroyed or severely damaged, with families displaced, left in despair and without access to basic necessities. City, state, and federal relief services were stretched thin, and many of our neighbors were left waiting for help that never came. It felt apocalyptic.

Even as we tried to grapple with our loss, we saw an urgent, heartbreaking void in our community. There was no immediate help or resources to meet our neighbors' needs.

Filling the Void: A Hub of Hope and Relief:

What began as an impromptu act of kindness with boiling water for coffee and firing up the grill to cook food we had purchased to ride out the storm for several neighbors who also had stayed in their homes quickly turned into a lifeline for the entire neighborhood. In the wake of Hurricanes Helene and Milton, we transformed our driveway into a hub of hope and relief, growing into the Relief Market and Grille. With no outside help coming quickly enough, we have worked tirelessly to provide free hot meals, cleaning supplies, hygiene products, mattresses, and Christmas trees, and even organized community events like movie nights and holiday celebrations to help restore a sense of normalcy provide these vital essentials to families who had lost everything.

Over the following weeks and months, approaching 100 days, the Relief Market & Grille evolved into a lifeline for thousands of residents, filling a gap no other agency or organization had addressed. Through sheer determination and the incredible support of volunteers and donors, we've:

• served over 23,800 meals, including over 4,000 hamburgers, hotdogs, and 3,000 pounds of pasta.

• Distributed over 20,000 bottles of water and Gatorade, 3,400 rolls of paper towels, and 4,600 rolls of toilet paper.

• Provided 40 mattresses, 360 Christmas trees, TVs, furniture, and countless other essentials to help families rebuild.

• Coordinated free laundry services and assisted with housing placements

• Hosted events like ShoreAoke (karaoke), Shoresgiving, holiday gift drives, and even movie nights to restore a sense of normalcy and joy.

Bringing Joy Amid Despair

One of our proudest moments came less than two weeks after Hurricane Milton when we organized a Halloween festival to bring a sense of normalcy and joy back to the community. With over 5,000 attendees, 10,200 meals served, and 8,000 pieces of candy distributed, the event was a beacon of hope for children and families reeling from the storms—a moment of healing for a neighborhood that had experienced unimaginable loss.

The Relief Market & Grille was born out of necessity, a response to the void left by official relief efforts. It has become a symbol of resilience and community for Shore Acres and beyond.

Despite losing everything ourselves, we poured everything we had into this effort. Thousands of dollars of our savings have gone toward relief efforts, even as we're still displaced, living in temporary housing, and trying to rebuild our lives. Our cars were totaled, and the strain of trying to restart from scratch while supporting an entire community has left us stretched beyond what we can manage alone.

Why We're Asking For Your Help

Asking for help isn't easy for us—it's humbling, even uncomfortable. For us, it's always been about giving back, about doing everything we can to support those who need it.

Mike and I have poured everything we have been able to—emotionally, physically, and financially—into this community. Even as we navigate our recovery, living in temporary housing and starting from scratch after losing our home, irreplaceable memories, and vehicles, we remain committed to ensuring that no one in our neighborhood is left behind.

Rebuilding continues to feel overwhelming even 3 months later (something the media and world loses the significance of the long-term recovery because it isn’t seen day to day or devastating like having Jim Cantore live in your neighborhood with 110mph winds). While we’ll continue to do everything we can for our community, we need help to continue standing alongside them while also starting over ourselves.

But now, we humbly ask for your support—not just for the Relief Market & Grille, but for ourselves.

Your support will go toward:

• Helping us recover and rebuild our home to stay rooted in this community we love.

• Replacing essential items lost in the flood, including reliable transportation, to continue relief efforts.

• Sustaining the Relief Market & Grille so we can keep providing meals, supplies, and support to struggling families.

Your donation will help us rebuild and ensure that the Relief Market & Grille remains a vital resource for our neighbors during this long road to recovery.

Every contribution—no matter the size—makes a difference. If you cannot give, we hope you will consider sharing this campaign with others who may be able to help.

We are deeply grateful for your support and humbled by the kindness of friends, family, and strangers who have shown up for us during this incredibly challenging time. Thank you for helping us rebuild our lives and continue serving a community that means the world to us.

In moments like these, community is everything. And though this has been one of the most challenging times of our lives, the love, support, connections, and new friendships we’ve already received remind us that we’re not alone.

With heartfelt gratitude,

Matt & Mike

Learn more about the Relief Market & Grille's impact:

Tampa Bay Times: 'After hurricanes, Halloween event planners hope to bring kids some normalcy.'

ABC Action News: 'Neighbor 'n Shore Acres providing free food and supplies to people affected by hurricanes'

ABC Action News: 'Shore Acr's community comes together to celebrate the holidays despite storm damage'

Thank you for being a part of this journey with us. ❤️