Oldsmar finds joy in community as the town comes together to recover from storm damage

OLDSMAR, Fla. – More than 500 homes in Oldsmar were damaged by Hurricane Helene and the resulting flooding from the bay.

One of these houses belongs to Christine Duncan.

“Our house was a ‘total flood,'” she said of the destruction. “That’s called a critical loss.”

And yet this local leader, an outreach coordinator for Community United Methodist Church, said she is not grieving for her home.

Instead, so many of their neighbors banded together in the face of tragedy –

“I actually have quite a bit of joy in me.”

This is what you should know about Oldsmar: The town is small but beautiful.

“We are Oldsmar Strong,” said supermom and neighborhood leader Nicole Williger, who has not stopped organizing public rallies for help and support.

Faced with widespread devastation, people here have stood united in their resistance, neighbors helping neighbors with old-fashioned resilience.

This defiant stance was led by local nonprofit Oldsmar Cares and leader Michelle Baldwin.

“We at Oldsmar Cares immediately started reaching out to each other and asking, ‘Where is the need, who needs what and what can we do?’” Baldwin said.

The nonprofit relies on volunteers and donations to bring clothing, food, linens and cleaning supplies to families in need.

Current supplies include plastic containers, cleaning gloves, black contractor/outdoor trash bags, toiletries, air mattresses, camp chairs, coolers, bug spray and first aid kits.

For more information about Oldsmar Cares, including location and hours, click here.

A full list of resources, whether you need assistance in any capacity, or would like to help or donate, can be found here.