Locals Organize Support For Southwest Florida

    Several local residents have partnered to deliver support to those impacted by Hurricane Ian. Altoona resident John Parrish III, his son Logan Lambert have returned from the Northport and Arcadia areas, where they cooked 700 meals for hurricane victims, donated supplies including 200 rolls of toilet paper, 100 bags of rice, 100 bags of beans, 100 gallons of fuel, a case of batteries, bug spray, feminine hygiene products, diapers, tarps, cases of water, 60 loaves of bread, 200 candles, cleaning supplies, non-perishable food kits, five tents, seven cots, and more.
   It’s the kind of grassroots response and generosity that can seem uncommon in today’s world, but in reality is quite common, especially among North Lake County residents.
   Phillips this week recounted how he and Logan - a 17-year-old Umatilla High School senior took donated supplies gathered from a variety of people south to help those in great need. So far, there have been two trips.
   "My friend Michael Hagood from Longwood went down with me on the second trip and cooked," Phillips said. "A fellow resident of Altoona, Malcolm Brinson, loaned me a propane cooker and a five-gallon steel stock pot. I had never met Malcolm, and he generously responded to a request my wife posted online. Malcolm also took a large truck of supplies down."
   Phillips was able to buy many of the donated items with donated funds.
   “I did just buy the stuff, however, I used money donated from Mobile 24 Labs of Orlando. Matt LaPierre of Altoona, Joe and Carter King of Titusville, and Andrew Scott and Steve Rogers of Dallas, Texas. We all do a Bible study together each week via zoom. If anyone wanted to participate in the study, they can email andrew.h.scott@gmail.com.”