TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) -- During Hurricane Hermine, a Tallahassee man stayed at his homeless camp to weather the storm. It has been a little over a month since Hermine, and they're still in need of supplies.
Tucked away deep in the woods is a camp that's like a small village in Tallahassee. Dan Hadders is the person in charge.
"The way it's set up is to help people," said Hadders. "It's not designed for people to stay forever. "
He built his house here himself. It's equipped with basically everything he needs to survive including canned food, generators, tarps for his roof, and a radio to stayed tuned in to what's happening in the world. A few people are staying here right now.
Every tent here has a purpose. One is even used for storage and another is even set up for church.
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Hadders stayed in his tent home during Hurricane Hermine.
"Everything flying, there were trees flying. You're like, please Lord, don't hit my house," said Hadders.
He says after the storm a pastor put him up in a hotel for a few days.
He knows recovery from storms can take quite some time. Pat Smith with Pat's Pantry is trying to help the tent community, and she's gathering things like tarps, tents, and sleeping bags from the public.
"This is my sixth year out here, said Smith. "When you get to know them, you get to love them. You understand some of their life stories, and you just want to help them."
Hadders says he never wants to deal with a storm like Hurricane Hermine again, and he hopes those who live outside on the east coast took the proper precautions to protect themselves from Hurricane Matthew.
Here is a list of what's needed:
hats
gloves
socks
rubber work boots
tents
tarps
You can contact Pat's Pantry at (850) 875-2133.
Reporter Stephen Jiwanmall also got up close and personal with homelessness in Tallahassee when he slept outside in the elements for a night. To read more on what he learned about homeless youth, click here.
