On October 9, 2024, Hurricane Helene made landfall south of Tampa Bay as a Category 3 storm, two weeks after Hurricane Milton touched down in the state. The sudden impact of the back-to-back hurricanes left some communities devastated, experiencing flooding, debris, extensive power outages, and a lack of available resources.
In response to the hurricanes, members of the multifamily industry across the state rallied together to support their residents, first responders and colleagues.
"The Wayland is a historic community located in St. Petersburg, next to Tropicana Field, which is often used as a staging area during storms. When mobilization began at Tropicana Field in response to Hurricane Milton, the Wayland opened its doors to first responders.
"We offered vacant apartments to ensure the safety of first responders, providing them with hot showers, restroom facilities, internet connections, and a place to stay in contact and coordinate efforts, effectively making Wayland their ground zero," said Charles Duncan, regional manager of the Pegasus Residential community
Duncan and Property Manager Cody Talcott led the boots-on-the-ground effort, offering first responders access to vacant, furnished units, in addition to all amenity areas for group meetings.
"It is truly an honor to serve our community and support the first responders - our unsung heroes - who leave their own families and put themselves in harm's way," said Duncan. "Providing a roof over their heads and a hot shower is the least we can do to support St. Pete."
"You know, a lot of people don't know what to do when disaster strikes, because it can be so big that it paralyzes you. I really feel like we've given people an opportunity to do something and get involved." - KELI LYNCH-WRIGHT, CO-FOUNDER OF HATCHING HOPE
In the days following Hurricane Milton's landfall, FAA, along with the Bay Area Apartment Association and volunteers across the state, partnered with Hatching Hope, a disaster relief organization headquartered in central Alabama. Hatching Hope provides recovery essentials to victims of disaster, focused on those living in multifamily homes. Co-founded in 2016 by Keli Lynch-Wright and her son Ashton after their home was lost in a fire, the organization's mission holds a deeply personal meaning.
Lynch-Wright, who worked in multifamily for more than 30 years, said the response from her community and peers was immense after her family lost everything in the fire. "That was really what inspired Ashton and [me] to co-found Hatching Hope together," she said.
Volunteers from FAA's affiliates gathered to pack donated supplies into relief kits to deliver to residents impacted by the storm. "We all rolled up our sleeves," Lynch-Wright said. "We built 600 disaster recovery bags and gathered diapers and did what we had to do."
The relief kits included items such as toiletries, hygiene products, cleaning supplies, linens, comfort items for children, and air mattresses, all packaged in reusable tote bags.
Hatching Hope has a long history of partnering with Florida communities and multifamily associations. "We cover the Southeast predominantly through NAA affiliate chapters, so we rely on the volunteer network that's built into each association to serve with us," Lynch-Wright said.
Suppliers from across the state - including Chadwell Supply, Real Floors, and City Recycling Group - provided warehouse space for storage, staging, and packing donations, along with box trucks to help with transport and delivery. Companies on the supplier and management side all came together to donate their time, finances, and resources to support the cause. "We have volunteer networks set up through the affiliates in each market," Lynch-Wright said. "That, I think, is the true heartbeat of what we're doing and why it continues to grow."
Lynch-Wright said in her experience, people are eager to help during times of crisis but don't always know the most effective way to give back.
"You know, a lot of people don't know what to do when disaster strikes, because it can be so big that it paralyzes you. I really feel like we've given people an opportunity to do something and get involved", Lynch-Wright said.
Aside from coordinated efforts, individual communities and on-site staff went above and beyond to provide comfort, aid, and encouragement to their residents. Bell Lake Forest Apartments in the Sanford area was closely monitoring the impacts of the storm. When they realized the community would lose power, the on-site team rallied to provide food for residents in the clubhouse.
"We acted swiftly, shopping for food, setting up tables, creating signage, and sending text updates to residents, all within an hour," said Laura Vargas-Mazzarino, community manager of Bell Lake Forest. "Our goal was to make them feel at home despite the storm's challenges."
The industry rallied in different ways across the state, but the sentiment remains consistent - giving back to the community is a core pillar of multifamily, embodied by the dedicated and passionate people who serve the industry.
Duncan said he believes in the basic need to belong to a community, and in turn, the importance of extending a helping hand to others when they need it.
"Without our residents, there would be no 'us,' and we wholeheartedly recognize and appreciate that," said Vargas-Mazzarino. "Giving back strengthens the bonds with those around us, fosters a sense of belonging, and demonstrates through actions that we truly honor our commitment to impacting our community positively."
