GADSDEN COUNTY, Fla. (WTXL) - Four months ago, Chattahoochee was devastated by Hurricane Michael, and there are still clear signs that the road to recovery is a long one, but residents are taking resources and giving them to others who need them.
Ron Matteson and Freedom Life Church are collecting MRE's from the community. MRE stands for meals ready to eat.
He says residents are getting back on their feet and don’t need these meals anymore. So, he’s planning to hand them out to a Tallahassee group called Lemondrop Productions.
They care for animals and often for people experiencing homelessness. Matteson said there are so many who could use these meals right now, and giving back to the community is something everyone should try to do.
"There's a lot of people outside this region that would love to have these things, just to break up the difference in their family budget," he said. "So, I like to do what I can to collect from this region MRE's and things like that are not being used or those canvasses especially that are not being used. They're sitting in a box that FEMA gave them. I think we should redistribute those items to where they're needed."
Matteson said it’s okay if the boxes are open, as long as the contents are still sealed. He added that he wants to help the community in other ways from helping people rebuild to bringing more jobs to this area.
If you'd like to help with donations, they can be dropped off at Freedom Life Church at 947 Morgan Avenue in Chattahoochee. Matteson can be reached at 850-661-4099.
