Local

Supply drive underway in Kissimmee to help Hurricane Ida victims; here’s how you can help

KISSIMMEE, Fla. — A supply drive is underway in Kissimmee to help assist victims of Hurricane Ida.

Community members, along with the Kissimmee Police Department, the city of Kissimmee, the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office and Team Rubicon are working to send critical supplies to Louisiana.

READ: Ida aftermath: Photos capture devastation in Louisiana

The #LATruck4Houston mission is asking the public to help assist victims of Hurricane Ida by donating much needed supplies.

Officials said more than 1 million homes and businesses are without power in Louisiana and Mississippi and restoring services is predicted to take weeks or even longer.

Photos: Scenes from Hurricane Ida’s aftermath in Louisiana

Many people are homeless and others had to evacuate without a set date to safely return, officials said.

“Many people have lost their homes, hundreds of thousands are stranded without electricity, water, food and basic necessities in the middle of a pandemic, and we know our Central Florida community has a big heart’, Vladillen ‘Vlad’ González said. “Our aim is to bring our beautiful community together in a unique way, so our plan is to fill our truck with your donations and we are partnering with key stakeholders just as we did in 2017 in Los Angeles to make sure the supplies reach the right shelters and people.”

READ: Hurricane Larry forecast to remain a major hurricane for several days

The supply drive will take place on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Kissimmee Police Department parking lot at 8 North Stewart Avenue.

To learn more about the event, click here.

Photos: Supply drive underway in Kissimmee for Hurricane Ida victims

Katlyn Brieskorn, WFTV.com

Katlyn Brieskorn is a Digital Assignment Editor at WFTV. She joined Channel 9 in July 2019.