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Hurricane Milton Resources & Recovery
Our community has be greatly impacted by Hurricane Milton, check out this information and resources for Polk, Highlands and Hardee Counties to support and strengthen your family during this time:
Get Started:
- Call 211 to get expert, caring help.
- Hope Florida - Connect with Hope Navigators to get connected to resources tailored to your situation. Call 833-GET-HOPE.
- Find Help - Discover helpful resources near you.
- United Way of Central Florida's Natural Disaster Resources and Recovery
- Find Food - Food pantries throughout Polk, Highlands and Hardee Counties (be sure to call beforehand as some may be temporarily closed due to storm damage.)
- Teladoc Health is offering free medical appointments for non-emergency needs. Call 855-225-5032 to get set up — for life-threatening emergencies, call 911.
Mental & Emotional Support:
Disaster Relief for Polk County:
Food/Water Distribution:
- Lakes Church - 1010 E Memorial Blvd, Lakeland
- Serving 10,000 free hot meals for 10 days starting October 14 from 4PM-6PM.
- Lakeland - Walker Road Park, 1285 Walker Road (Open daily from 9AM-6PM until supplies last)
- Lakeland - Gator Creek Preserve, 9725 US Hwy 98 N (Open daily from 9AM-6PM until supplies last)
- Frostproof - Family Life Church, 139 Bulldog Way (Open daily from 9AM-6PM until supplies last)
- Mulberry - Civic Center, 901 NE Fifth St. (Open daily from 9AM-6PM until supplies last)
- Red Cross Disaster Assistance - 4200 State Rd 60, Mulberry, FL 33860 1PM - 6PM
- Polk County Government Disaster Assistance
- Distribution sites will be open from 8AM-6PM every day until power is restored and commercial supplies are available.
- Walker Road Park – 1035 Walker Road, Lakeland (Access to this site is available via Swindell Rd to the south)
- Gator Creek Reserve – 9725 US Highway 98 N., Lakeland
- Family Life Church – 139 Bulldog Way, Frostproof
- Mulberry Civic Center – 901 N.E. Fifth St., Mulberry
- SNAP Food Replacement (for current SNAP recipients ONLY) - SNAP Recipients who lost food due to Hurricane Milton can apply for food replacement by completing the form below. To apply, individuals must:
- Be a current SNAP Recipient
- Complete the form by October 19th, 2024.
- Households are required to provide verification of having a power outage of 4 or more hours or damage that caused food loss to their MYACCESS Account, except for households located in Charlotte, Citrus, Collier, Desoto, Flagler, Hardee, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Lake, Lee, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Sarasota, and Volusia.
Debris Haulers:
Businesses:
- Crunch Fitness Lakeland - Offering free workout, hot showers and ability to charge devices for members and non-members.
Safety & Shelter:
Financial Assistance:
Clean Up & Debris Removal
Legal/Documentation Help:
- Disaster Legal Hotline is open to assist and refer callers - 833-514-2940
- Florida Rural Legal Services – Polk, Highlands & Hardee
- IRS Disaster Hotline - 866-562-5227
Long-Term Recovery
Disaster Relief for Highlands County:
AC & Charging Electronics:
- Red’s Auto Options 106 W Main St, Avon Park, FL 33825 (863) 453-2665
Clean-Up Efforts:
Roofing:
- Reimagine Roofing - 480-935-8553
- David J. Marley Roofing Contractors, Inc - 877-572-4640
Emergency Management Drive Through Pick-Up for Resources:
- AVON PARK - South Florida State College, 600 W. College Drive
- Traffic will need to turn onto College Drive from U.S. 27, use entrance 1 and follow all traffic control devices and flagmen through the POD, then exit back out onto College Drive.
- SEBRING - Sebring Health Department parking lot, 7205 S. George Blvd.
- Traffic will need to turn onto State Road 66 from U.S. 27, then turn onto South George Boulevard and follow all traffic control devices and flagmen through the POD, then exit back out to South George Boulevard to U.S. 27.
- The public will not be able to access the POD from U.S. 27.
- LAKE PLACID - Lake Placid High School track field, off Interlake Boulevard
- Traffic will need use Interlake Boulevard to South Main Street, then take Marquata Drive and follow all traffic control devices and flagmen to enter the distribution area, then exit back out onto Green Dragon Drive.
Food Pantries:
- Church of the Nazarene of Sebring – 420 S. Pine Street, Sebring, FL, 863-385-0400
- Church Service Center – 198 Rowe Street, Avon Park, FL, 863-452-6464
- Tuesday - Friday, 8:30AM-12PM
- Community Bible Church – 1400 CR 17A North, Avon Park, FL, 863-452-5643
- Manna Ministries – 416 Kent Avenue, Lake Placid, FL, 863-699-0093
- Parkway Food Ministries – 3413 Sebring Parkway, Sebring, FL, 863-382-3552
- Faith Missionary Baptist Church, 1702 Lagrange Ave., Sebring, FL
- 2nd & 4th Fridays of the month at 12PM
- Ridge Area 7th Day Adventist Church – 30 Alice Nelson Street, Avon Park, FL, 863-452-5514
- Salvation Army – 3135 Kenilworth Blvd., Sebring, FL, 863-385-7548
- Walker Memorial Seventh-day Adventist Community Center – 2345 Lake Lillian Drive, Avon Park, FL, 863-453-0177
- Meals on Wheels & Feeding Tampa Bay | Drive Up Food Drive - 151 Robert Britt St Avon Park, FL 32825
- On 10/17/2024 – Starts at 9am, encouraged to get there as early as possible to receive resources
- Manna Ministries of Lake Placid – Food Pantry
- SNAP Food Replacement (for current SNAP recipients ONLY) - SNAP Recipients who lost food due to Hurricane Milton can apply for food replacement by completing the form below. To apply, individuals must:
- Be a current SNAP Recipient
- Complete the form by October 19th, 2024.
- Households are required to provide verification of having a power outage of 4 or more hours or damage that caused food loss to their MYACCESS Account, except for households located in Charlotte, Citrus, Collier, Desoto, Flagler, Hardee, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Lake, Lee, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Sarasota, and Volusia.
Safety & Shelter:
Legal/Documentation Help:
- Disaster Legal Hotline is open to assist and refer callers - 833-514-2940
- Florida Rural Legal Services – Polk, Highlands & Hardee
- IRS Disaster Hotline - 866-562-5227
Long-Term Recovery
Disaster Relief for Hardee County:
Food:
- SNAP Food Replacement (for current SNAP recipients ONLY) - SNAP Recipients who lost food due to Hurricane Milton can apply for food replacement by completing the form below. To apply, individuals must:
- Be a current SNAP Recipient
- Complete the form by October 19th, 2024.
- Households are required to provide verification of having a power outage of 4 or more hours or damage that caused food loss to their MYACCESS Account, except for households located in Charlotte, Citrus, Collier, Desoto, Flagler, Hardee, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Lake, Lee, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Sarasota, and Volusia.
Clean Up & Debris Removal:
Legal/Documentation Help:
- Disaster Legal Hotline is open to assist and refer callers - 833-514-2940
- Florida Rural Legal Services – Polk, Highlands & Hardee
- IRS Disaster Hotline - 866-562-5227
Long-Term Recovery
Stay Informed:
Storm Preparation: