Hurricane Milton: Atlanta-based nonprofit sends crews, tools to victims

ATLANTA — An Atlanta-based nonprofit is sending additional manpower to the hardest hit areas of Florida with trailers full of tools that storm victims can use to make repairs in the wake of Hurricane Milton.

ToolBank USA, based in Southeast Atlanta, has expanded to become a nationwide nonprofit able to assist victims of disasters with a vast supply of tools that they can borrow for use when the need is the greatest.

“We’re going to bridge that gap and we bring our tools in, and we can help that community,” said Bill Hess, Director of Disaster Services for ToolBank USA.

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Hess says homeowners often have toolsheds destroyed during storms or they may be stranded without access to get tools to make repairs on their own.

“Fuel is a premium in a natural disaster,” said Hess “So an hour or an hour and a half away outside of the storm area to get that tool to come back is also a challenge.”

He has a team in place near Tampa Bay where their job right now is to find out where they are needed and let first responders do their jobs first.

“Saving lives and protecting resources and assets is the number one priority,” he said. “We will come in for the cleanup aspect.”

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The nonprofit has warehouses and facilities in Atlanta and across the country after launching in Southeast Atlanta 33 years ago. Many of their tools are donated by large companies like Lowe’s and Home Depot. Other corporate sponsors help with monetary donations so that tools can be purchased and used by the nonprofit.

Additional ToolBank USA staff have been called into Florida area to assist with damage from both Hurricane Helene and Milton.

“While supporting Florida, because of two most recent hurricanes, we’re also supporting in Georgia,” he said. “We are moving trailers into North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.”

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