Gainesville residents are helping Hurricane Sandy victims get back on their feet.
Throughout the city, organizations are sending out volunteers and collecting donations to help people whose homes were destroyed in the past week by the hurricane.
St. Augustine Catholic Church and Holy Faith Catholic Church held a special collection during their services Saturday and Sunday. The University Lutheran Church is also collecting money to help victims.
The bishop of the Diocese of St. Augustine, located in Jacksonville, also asked more than 60 parishes that are spread out in 17 counties in North Florida to hold a special collection during all masses on Nov. 17 and Nov. 18, said Christina Retzer, editorial assistant for the director of communications at the Diocese of St. Augustine. The money raised will be sent to Catholic Charities USA, a private network of social service organizations. It will distribute the money to those in need in Northern states.
The American Red Cross in Alachua County is recruiting volunteers to help at shelters and other locations. Eleven volunteers from around Central Florida have traveled to help so far.
“A local volunteer said everything was going good, but we’re going to move to open another 500-people shelter,” said Casey Schmelz, emergency services manager for the organization.
The American Red Cross has provided about 92,000 shelters since evacuation began, Schmelz said.
As of Sunday, the American Red Cross collected $30 million nationally.
“It empowers them to get back to normal,” she said.
