As the Walt Disney World theme parks return to normal operation following Hurricane Ian, there are many communities that will not be able to return to normal for months or longer. From Cape Coral to Kissimmee and all throughout Florida, there are communities impacted by wind damage and flooding from Hurricane Ian. While we typically don’t get personal on BlogMickey.com, we wanted to take a very brief moment to talk about what’s happening outside of the Disney World bubble.

BlogMickey.com is run by myself, Mike with help from my wife, Jackie. Before moving to Orlando, Southwest Florida was our home. It was where we grew up, where we went to school, and it was where we met. It holds a special place in our hearts. Watching the news and seeing images of the scale of the destruction and devastation of a place that we called home for so long is heartbreaking.

While we moved out of Southwest Florida years ago, our friends and family still live there and have been impacted by Hurricane Ian. As the first images and texts came through from family and friends in Southwest Florida where Hurricane Ian made direct landfall, Ian was making its way to our new home – Central Florida. While the winds weren’t as devastating as they were in Southwest Florida, the flooding has been extensive.

With so many impacted from our former home and our new home, we wanted to give back and encourage you to give if you are able. With so many without housing and seeking shelter, we decided to give to food banks that will be helping those in need. We’ve given $1,000 to the Harry Chapin Food Bank benefiting Southwest Florida and $1,000 to the Second Harvest Food Bank in Central Florida. If you are unable to give, please consider sharing the following resources with others. Here are some links that would help not only those directly in our communities but many more communities throughout Florida that are in need of help.

Thank you.