WIMAUMA, Fla. — With hundreds of families seeking assistance from FEMA for damages caused by the recent hurricanes, there are some people who may not qualify for monetary help.

What You Need To Know

  •   The Hispanic Services Council has partnered with the Red Cross to provide warm meals to the community in the wake of Hurricane Milton

  •   The social services organization also offers hurricane preparedness workshops a few times a month across Hillsborough County

  •   SNAP Application help is also being offered at their office in Wimauma.

It’s why the Hispanic Services Council has opened their doors to help as many people as they can.

For some families in Wimauma, the Hispanic Services Council Office is the only place they can get the help they need after back-to-back hurricanes, which is why the organization is educating the community about other resources they may be eligible for.

It's all about community at the Hispanic Services Council, as people file in to receive a warm meal.

Community coordinator Marcela Franchini said many of the families don’t know where they’re getting their next meal after the impacts of the recent hurricanes. 

"They went too much time without electricity and some still don’t have electricity, so this is a huge help for them," she said.

The social services organization is also helping families apply for SNAP benefits, as most had to throw away their food. Franchini said many of the residents they serve have had a lot of questions about FEMA assistance.

Maria Garavito, project coordinator for "La Red de Padres Activos," said they are working to determine how they can help the Hispanic community.

“The people that don’t speak English, and those who may have been left out, they need this information," she said. "And that’s why we’re providing — and then the person will decide where they want to go and if they are eligible."

Garavito said it can be challenging for the Hispanic community they serve because so many people are immigrating to a new country they don’t know how to navigate.

“All the families that we are helping, the majority of them have never received the help that we in this country are able to provide,” she said.

While the organization can’t help fill out FEMA applications, they often share information on their social media page. 

In the meantime, officials with the organization say they will continue doing what they can to help get families back on their feet.

The Hispanic Services Council also offers workshops twice a month across Hillsborough County to educate families on how to prepare for a hurricane. Those workshops will resume in a few weeks.