The forgotten Wilma vicitms get help from one small rural community!

Clewiston and surrounding communities really pull together to cater to those volunteering their time to help out residents still recovering from Hurricane Wilma in Hendry and Glades counties. Local businesses, such as Cafe' Tropical, McDonald's, Subway, Burger King, Sonny's Real Pit Bar-B-Q, Clewiston Bakery, and Common Grounds often offer free or reduced price meals for our volunteers. Community Presbyterian Church, First Baptist Church and First United Methodist Church feed almost every group that visits at least one time a week for dinner, offering fellowship as well as nourishment. In addition First United Methodist Church, First Baptist Church, Community Presbyterian Church, and Iglesia De Dios Pentecostal MI churches all provide rooms for these volunteers to crash and relax in while they are here working! Local social service and government agencies also pitch in to help find resources for the families as well, agencies such as The Empowerment Alliance of Southwest Florida, The United Way of Lee, Hendry and Glades Counties, the Rotary Club, the City of Clewisoton, the County SHIP programs in both Hendry and Glades counties, USDA Rural Development, United Church of Christ, United Methodist Committee on Relief, Lutheran Disaster Response, Volunteer Florida Foundation, and others all either helped provide direct assistance or fund the work of the volunteers,or help out with CREW expenses so that they could locate, recruit, coordinate, and fund this assistance.