ORLANDO, Fla. — Before Hurricane Dorian, it was business as usual for Mr. Man Barbershop owner Abbie Garcia.
- Abbie Garcia opened her heart after seeing Dorian devastation
- She says her family was impacted by Hurricane Maria 2 years ago
- Donations poured in after her Instagram video calling for help
Garcia's days are a little different now, after seeing the devastation in the Bahamas — homes and lives destroyed, flooded villages, and families who lost everything.
Those images hit home for Garcia: Her family was greatly affected by Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, so she knows how hard it is to recover.
“It was bad for those people, too," says Garcia, whose shop is in the College Park neighborhood. "There were a lot of deaths. There were people without power. Their whole infrastructure was devastated.”
Now, she's taking what she learned from Hurricane Maria and collecting valuable items for the Bahamian victims of Hurricane Dorian.
“These people are going through a horrifying time right now. The island is under water," Garcia said.
She posted a video on Instagram calling for help for the Bahamas. After that, donations started to pour in: Clothes, water, food, even money to help buy a chainsaw.
Garcia also put together over 50 hygiene kits.
“It’s my duty as a human to take care of other humans who are in devastation,” Garcia said.
She partnered with other Central Florida businesses, dropping off her donated items to the Ace Cafe in downtown Orlando. From there, the goods were to be sent to volunteer boat captains in Brevard County who are delivering the goods to the Bahamas.
“I would like to keep taking donations for a while," Garcia says with a smile. "As long as people are willing to drop off stuff.”
You can drop off donations at the Mr. Man Barbershop on Edgewater Drive.