MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – In Miami Gardens, a new effort is underway to help out similar communities in southwest Florida.
Rapper Flo Rida and the City of Miami Gardens partnered up hoping to fill a trailer with supplies and send it to hard hit communities in Lee County following the destruction from Hurricane Ian.
“Strong Arm, Flo Rida, they got us a nice trailer,” said Miami-Dade Commissioner Oliver Gilbert. “We’re going to fill this thing up, we’re going to send it over.”
“As far as myself and my team, we definitely feel the hurt, we feel the pain, and we’re gonna react out of love and anything we can possibly do, we going to help,” added Flo Rida.
Miami Gardens Vice Mayor Reggie Leon said the city decided to undertake the effort after hearing about the devastation in majority minority communities like Harlem Heights and Dunbar, near Fort Myers.
“Well especially as the largest African-American city in the State of Florida, we want to make sure we’re able to show that support to other sister cities that look just like us,” Leon said.
Leon coordinated the relief effort with Lee County NAACP Assistant Secretary Jacquelyn McMiller.
“It’s going to be a tremendous help,” she said. “I got phone calls from so many people saying no one hears us, no one knows about us, and no one is even trying to give us any help.”
McMiller said she’s seeing disparities in aid relief after Hurricane Ian, similar to those that have been documented in previous natural disasters, with a disproportionate amount of relief flowing to more wealthy, and mostly white communities.
“Many of the black and brown communities, they are the last to get, even power back on,” said McMiller.
Donations will continue being accepted to fill the trailer at Carol City Park from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.