Published July 31, 2022
News Live Florida
Volunteers from Southwest Florida are in Kentucky to help with disaster relief after devastating flooding.
The Marco Patriots say they are ready do whatever is necessary to help the victims of this deadly flood in eastern Kentucky. This includes search and rescue, providing hot meals to survivors, and preparing supplies such as diapers, clothing, and personal hygiene items.
Officials say 25 people have died in the flooding, and the governor expects that number to rise as search and rescue teams continue to search for people still missing.
WINK News spoke with the Marco Patriots, a volunteer disaster response organization, as they traveled to Kentucky.
They have responded to the effects of major hurricanes and natural disasters not only in Florida, but throughout the country.
Marco Patriots said it was too much for them to sit at home and watch when they heard about this disaster.
“I was just listening to an update from the governor. And he had good news. And, you know, some bad news. There’s still a lot of power and water outages, you know, not a lot of cell phone service. So, you know, we’re looking at a disaster area. We’re used to seeing this, so it’s not going to be pretty,” said Erin Mia Milchman. co-founder of Marco Patriots. “I survived two major hurricanes here in Florida. And the love shown to us during Hurricane Irma inspired us to do the same. This is American patriotism. We are here to help our loved ones.”
The group plans to be in Kentucky for three days.
The Marco Patriots said they can always use donations, especially in the summer when we have hurricane season.
You can Click here to learn more about Marco Patriots, how they help and how you can donate.
You can Click here to learn how you can help with the American Red Cross.