We hope this message finds you safe and well after Hurricane Milton. While Lakewood Ranch was fortunate to escape the worst of the storm, our hearts go out to those most severely affected on the barrier islands, coastal areas, and in major flood zones. These families face a long and difficult recovery. Links to relief organizations and volunteer opportunities are provided below.

In Lakewood Ranch, county services, the Stewardship District, Town Hall, HOAs, and other entities responsible for community assets and services are actively assessing the impact of Milton on their areas of responsibility. Safety hazards are being prioritized, but we ask for patience. Many of the people working behind the scenes to restore services have been personally affected, with some living in areas harder hit than Lakewood Ranch. Despite these challenges, rest assured that no one is standing still; efforts are ongoing to restore normalcy.

Overall, Lakewood Ranch held up well against this major storm. Services are being reinstated, and many businesses are reopening. The resilience of the Ranch can be attributed in part to Florida’s strong building codes and stormwater management rules, which Lakewood Ranch follows and have evolved over the years to help communities like ours better withstand the impacts of hurricanes like Milton.

The Lakewood Ranch Information Center will be open on Saturday, October 11th. We will share more information about affected areas and planned activities in our town centers in the forthcoming days. Some businesses have reopened, but community members should contact individual businesses to check on their status.

If you notice any specific safety concerns in your neighborhood or home, please reach out directly to your HOA, Town Hall, or the Stewardship District. If you are unaware of who to contact, MyLWR.com is the best resource to find specific information.

Let’s continue to come together as a community, supporting one another and those who were impacted the most.

INFORMATION RESOURCES

www.mymanatee.org/storm or call 311

www.scgov.net or call 211

www.myLWR.com

For Assistance, here a few resources to get you started:

Florida’s State Assistance Information Line: (800)342-3557 or www.floridadisaster.org

FEMA – Meals, water, disaster aid & unemployment relief: www.disasterassistance.gov  or www.fema.gov/drc

United Way – relief resources & daily events

Disaster Legal Hotline – #833-514-2940

Disater Distress Helpline – Call or text 1-800-985-5990

National hotline dedicated to providing year-round disaster crisis counseling

Samaritan’s Purse Hotline – #833-747-1234

Free assistance for homeowners affected by the disaster. Volunteers may be able to assist with removal of personal property and furniture, flood cleanup, sanitizing, chainsaw work, debris cleanup and temporary roof tarping.

Red Cross Hotline – #800-733-2767

Financial, sheltering, reunification and transitional suppor

Florida Baptists Disaster Relief Public Assistance – #904-253-0502

Free Assistance for homeowners affected by the disaster. Volunteers may be able to assist with Storm Debris Cleanup, Temporary Roof Tarping, Chainsaw work and Muck outs

Crisis Cleanup number: 844-965-1386

Assistance is always free and may include: Debris removal, Tree removal, flooded home, mold remediation & more cleanup assistance

Resources for Business Owners:

Manatee Chamber of Commerce: https://www.manateechamber.com/stormrecovery/

Sarasota Chamber of Commerce: https://www.sarasotachamber.com/post-hurricane-resources.html

Volunteer & Donation Opportunities:

Lakewood Ranch Community Fund: list of local volunteering needs from a variety of nonprofits

Manatee Community Foundation Disaster Relief Fund – accepting donations for hurricane relief

Keep Manatee Beautiful – debris clean-up daily from 9 am to 2 pm . Sign up for shifts.

Convoy of Hope at Grace Community Church: Volunteer days at various locations impacted with storm damage.

Bayside Community Church: Disaster Relief Fund

The Center of Anna Maria is collecting supplies, organizing volunteer services and accepting donations for the community. There is also a fund for Gulf Barrier Island Hospitality workers who are out of work due to storm damage.

Meals on Wheels – donate to their food pantries. Volunteer opportunities available.

Healthy Start Coalition of Sarasota County: Donations of diapers, baby wipes, formula, gift cards and new & lightly used children’s clothing for pregnant women, new families and their babies.

Kids Comfort Buckets Donation Drive: To help the children of families who have lost everything from Hurricane Helene & Milton. Collecting hygiene and comfort items. Drop off locations at Influence Style and Barre3 (during business hours), or at Main Street Market on Saturday, 10/19 . Alternative donation options; venmo and amazon wishlist. Details here: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/itn2aDvB6dYVBKXf/

Manatee County Government is looking for any and all post-storm recovery services. This includes but is not limited to, debris clean up and hauling, services for clearing roads, temporary housing, utility restoration, mental health services, financial assistance programs, public health services, building inspection services, and community engagement programs. You can find all Vendor Disaster Recovery Services information requirements and forms HERE. Once you have completed all forms, they can be emailed to recovermanatee@mymanatee.org for review and processing. You will be contacted if your services are required. We appreciate your support through this unprecedented time.