Relief, Rebuilding and PB&J Sandwiches
That first trip preceded more trips in the coming weeks, as donations poured in— including 200 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches lovingly prepared by Beach House clients.
Marketing Manager Ryan Le Grange is another member of the
Beach House staff who has been instrumental in helping to promote and coordinate the relief initiative now known as “Conch Aid to the Keys.” In his free time, Le Grange volunteers for a local non-profit teen leadership development organization. The Stand Up Foundation, as he describes it, is all about encouraging teens to take initiative in their communities.
Le Grange said he was inspired to lend a hand to Addy and “Conch-Aid to the Keys” when one of the teens he mentors began asking what could be done. Within minutes of Addy’s initial Facebook post announcing the effort and inviting help, Le Grange was on the phone with Addy brainstorming next steps in soliciting relief donations.
Addy recalled the lead-up to that call: “I typed up this whole thing that I was going to put on Facebook, about how the people in the Keys needed us. And I was sitting there getting ready to post it and was pretty scared, because I knew there would be no backing out after— and how crazy it is with three kids, a pregnant wife and a full-time job. But almost as soon as I hit “post,” Ryan saw it and called me and said, ‘Let’s do this.’ In five minutes, Ryan built a website …we thought of a name and worked out a way for people to make cash donations … we found drop-off locations for donations. I truly believe that God helped me walk through the fear and provided me with the Stand Up Foundation.”
How You Can Get Involved
Conch-Aid to the Keys is now turning its sights to assisting in the cleanup and rebuilding of the area, by sending teams of volunteers, including groups of teens, to help in that work.
Addy and LeGrange are also currently collecting donations of lumber, tools, chainsaws, generators and other machinery.
The generosity of donors and volunteers has been overwhelming: Addy said every day about 20 people sign up to help.
To make a donation, visit the Stand Up Foundation website. Or, to get more involved, join Conch-Aid to the Keys’ Facebook group.
