Restoring Martin: A Community’s Spirit Shines After the Storm

Restoring Martin: A Community’s Spirit Shines After the Storm

Years from now, when we tell stories of Hurricane Milton and the devastating tornadoes of 2024, the heartwarming spirit of our community and the way people jumped in to help one another will be one of things we will look back on fondly.  Our local unsung heroes, families, businesses, nonprofit groups and government workers at all levels came together to assist storm victims in their recovery and rebuilding efforts.

The storms left more than just damaged properties and structures behind. As the winds and water receded, it became clear that our beautiful natural environment had also suffered, and in some areas, was decimated. Martin Grade, with its stunning canopy of trees, was damaged. Many parks were filled with debris. Our beaches and waterways, recently cleaned by over a thousand volunteers as part of the annual International Coastal Cleanup, were strewn with everything from palm fronds and vegetation to large pieces of plastic and wood and other building materials.

Keep Martin Beautiful volunteers mobilized in the aftermath of Milton, using all of the passion and expertise they’ve developed over their years of environmental stewardship, to get to work and remove litter.

Some of our volunteers, armed with supplies from Keep Martin Beautiful headquarters, set out immediately after the storm to collect debris. Our Adopt-a-Road groups turned their attention to the roadways that needed care. Individuals and groups headed to the beach and returned with bags full of litter.

On October 19, Keep Martin Beautiful was proud to partner with the United Way of Martin County and Martin County government for a morning of full-on litter removal. Based at Stuart Beach, our volunteers combed the sand and dunes along Martin County beaches. They brought back bags of debris and great stories about the experience of working together for the common good - to restore the area we all love and call home.

As we approach the Thanksgiving season, we can all be grateful for the generous spirit that is helping our community recover. Keep Martin Beautiful salutes everyone who came out to help in the aftermath of the storm. While full recovery will take a while, we know that our organization, like so many others, will keep at the task of caring for our neighbors and our community - making Martin County beautiful again.

Would you like to be a Keep Martin Beautiful volunteer? For more info, contact Keep Martin Beautiful at 772-781-1222, email info@keepmartinbeautiful.org or visit keepmartinbeautiful.org.