TAYLOR COUNTY, FL – October 21, 2024 — Waste Pro, along with several other organizations, partnered with a local Gainesville non-profit, “Fishin’ For Vision,” to bring much-needed supplies to the town of Steinhatchee, Florida, a community that has shown remarkable resilience in the face of the recent devastation caused by Hurricane Helene. Fishin’ for Vision’s trailer was full of supplies, and Cowboyz Catering from Gainesville helped cook breakfast and lunch for over 300 people.

Waste Pro-Regional Government Relations Directors Loyd Childree and Dayna Williams helped serve food and assisted in coordinating the gathering of much-needed supplies such as toiletry kits, towels, cleaning supplies, baby items, and clothing. Also lending a hand was Waste Pro’s Fanning Springs Division Manager Trip Lancaster. Late on September 26th, Helene made landfall at peak intensity in the Big Bend region of Florida, near Perry, with maximum sustained winds of 140 mph. The storm caused catastrophic rainfall-triggered flooding, particularly in western North Carolina, East Tennessee, and southwestern Virginia, and spawned numerous tornadoes. As of October 12, at least 252 deaths have been attributed to the storm.

The town of Steinhatchee was severely damaged by Hurricane Helene, with many residents and businesses without homes, work, and even still without power and water. Because of its location on the Nature Coast/Big Bend, it is somewhat isolated, and neighboring towns are not close by.

“This is what we do at Waste Pro; we care for our communities,” shared Dayna Williams, Director of Government Relations for North Central Florida. “Despite the devastation to several of our facilities and some of our team members suffering loss, we were determined to get out into the community and lend a hand where we could. It’s a privilege to give these folks a warm meal and show we care.”

Fishin’ For Vision was started by Dylan Klein when he was 15 years old. Dylan has Cone dystrophy, which currently has no cure. Instead of stressing about why his vision would not get better, he decided to focus on ways to help others with vision issues. He and his entire family, and their fundraising efforts, support the Florida Kidsight Foundation, which provides scholarships and helps others with visual needs.