The Whole East Coast, Including One Millionare, Opens Its Homes To Hurricane Irma Victims

Kissimmee community flooded after Irma © 2017 Cox Media Group.
Strangely enough, hurricane Irma got me thinking about homeless people. These people don't own basements to take shelter in, or cars to make a swift get away, or in most cases a frantic family member anxious to whisk them out of harms way or open their home.

What happens to homeless people in the case of hurricanes? I don't have an answer to that question, perhaps the government and homeless care organizations comb the streets for them.  But I do know of  another case of people that are also 'homeless' and without a family to care for them, but in a different way. I'm talking about foster children. 

Sure the governments got their backs, but sudden evacuation of massive amounts of children can leave some wondering, where do they go? Times of tragedy are also times when we get to see just how roomy some peoples hearts...or, er, in this case, houses can be. 

When a hurricane shelter in Boca Raton, Florida, suddenly need to be evacuated the  SOS Children’s Villages Florida  had no idea what to do with the 70 foster children they had weathering out the storm there, said an article in Today by Megan Holohan. Millionaire Marc Bell and his $30 million, 27,000-square foot mansion, ended up being the children's saving grace, Holohan described. 

 Bell and his wife Jennifer did more then just house the children, they hosted them in style. "They invited clowns, balloon artists, athletes, and ice cream trucks to entertain the children. With the help of friends and family they served over 800 meals in 72 hours," Holton said.
http://worldredeye.com/2015/02/todd-english-private-dinner-at-the-home-of-david-grutman/


 The Bells took a disaster and used it as an opportunity to give love, safety, and a taste of fun to traumatized children. Their story is a delightful and unique one to hear about, but it is not the only one. 

 CNN found homes from  Georgia to North Carolina to Colorado offering accommodation to the hundreds of thousands forced to abandon their homes to hurricane Irma. There was even a Facebook group called 'Hurricane Irma Lodging For Evacuees,' that had posts from people waving evacuee's over for lodging and listed organizations offering shelter.

CNN interviewed one veteran, Brian Adkins, who offered his home in Pueblo West, Colorado. "I'm a disabled veteran who's been through the Gulf War, I know what it's like to be out there with nothing," he said. "It's Important to me to open my home to those who need shelter. I've got more room than I can use. A full basement of 2400 square feet we can put cots in and an acre of land to park RVs."

 Can we just take a brief moment to appreciate these people. People who opened their homes to strangers, and we all know how scary strangers can be, especially the needy ones. It takes bravery and heart. 

 On that note lets also take a moment to pray that it doesn't take a tragedy like hurricane Irma happening here in California anytime soon to figure out if our hearts are just as big. 


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