ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Sometimes disaster relief means neighbors helping neighbors, and sometimes it's strangers that offer a helping hand.
That’s what’s going on in the Riviera Bay neighborhood of St. Petersburg. Late Monday night, four men from Oklahoma rolled in with a flatbed hauling a skid steer to help clear debris and also a trailer filled with supplies.
The men work for LS Transport near Oklahoma City. They’d seen how hard this area was hit by hurricanes Helene and Milton and were moved to act.
“I get to the office and we start talking about it and I was, ‘We got to do something’”, Dylan Clayborn said.
So, they made a post on social media asking for donations, and people and businesses stepped up.
“It blew up like wildfire,” he said.
People and businesses in the Oklahoma City area donated more than 10,000 pounds of water, food, diapers and more.
On Tuesday, the men made contact with Brad and Courtney Stein, who are active in the Riviera Bay Neighborhood Association. The Oklahoma team helped tear everything out of the couple’s flooded house.
Once everything is cleaned up, the Stein's home will become a disaster relief center. The donated items will be stored there ,along with security measures.
Starting Friday, people will be able to stop by and pick up anything they need to get through the next couple of days.
Courtney Stein is touched by the kindness of strangers.
“It’s unbelievable that we have people with that type of kindness in their heart,” she said. “During these types of disasters, you have two spectrums. You have the crazy people who are just making the world worse and you have people like this who are just good…taking time to help strangers.”
The Disaster Relief Center is located at 300 89th Avenue NE in St. Petersburg. On Friday, Saturday and Sunday, people can stop by and get items for free between the hours of 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Volunteers and more donations are needed. To help, call or text 727-888-1663.
You can also make monetary donations through the charity Share and Care Releaf.