Janelle Irwin Taylor
The Gulfport Brewery Run Club has been pooling its resources — and might — to help the small coastal city recover after Hurricane Helene’s storm surge and tropical-storm-force winds devastated parts of the town’s beachfront and surrounding areas.
Organized by Gulfport Brewery and one of its beertenders, the run club typically gathers on Tuesday evenings for a run catered to all skill levels, with the promise of BOGO beers after. But the past week has been different, and the runners have shown up in a big way for the community.
Together with other local volunteers, the group has knocked on every resident’s door in the 17-floor Bay Pointe Tower, an apartment community for seniors.
On Tuesday, the day the group would usually be gathering for a run, 20 run club volunteers formed an assembly line to deliver hot food, fresh fruits and vegetables, muffins, paper goods, water, fans and more to residents on every floor.
The group not only delivered what they had to distribute that day, but came armed with a spreadsheet to note which residents had additional needs and whether they’d like follow-ups by phone. In all, the group logged nearly 100 face-to-face contacts and filled unique requests — for items not readily on hand — for 12 residents.
Perhaps just as importantly, the group offered human contact to residents who may have not had it. Phone lines were down, so any resident without a cellphone was otherwise shut out from communication.
Work continued Wednesday, with several relief organizations, including Seniors in Service, Saving Our Seniors and others, showing up to deliver more supplies and establish a hub in a common area for residents to restock on essentials. Hot meals were also on offer, including from World Central Kitchen, Bascom’s Chop House and various pizza and cold sandwich options.
The unique requests continued, with one Hungarian woman in search of green peppers for a little bang in her cooking. Another needed specialized cat food for a particularly picky kitty. One resident just wanted some Blue Moon. They all got what they asked for.
This is all according to Courtney Prokopas, the organizer facilitating and coordinating relief efforts at the tower, who has been updating the community on the tower community’s well-being.
Hot food, sandwiches and fresh fruit and vegetables were delivered again on Thursday, along with paper goods and even popsicles.
Work is underway to have a mobile laundry placed on site so residents can clean their clothes. And volunteers are working to establish trolley service for residents, many of whom had cars totaled from flood waters.
It’s not just the run club. A quick stroll through a Facebook page specifically for Gulfport residents, businesses and visitors shows a number of posters asking how they can help, offering furniture, clothes and even spare rooms. Others are coming into the community with hygiene kits, hot meals and various cleaning supplies.
The Gabber, an independent newspaper based in Gulfport, has been reporting on damage and recovery in the city, including the extent of flooding that devastated the waterfront and surrounding areas. According to the outlet, more than 2 feet of storm surge crashed over the seawall, inundating businesses, collapsing docks and sending putrid smells wafting through the town. Homes have been all but ruined, and businesses expect a long recovery to rebuild.
Bay Pointe Tower, located outside the downtown center in Gulfport that suffered the brunt of damage, suffered extended power outages, failed elevators and, even though it’s several blocks from the waterfront, extensive flooding.
