Community donates supplies to homeless as Centennial Park is being shut down

After seeing that homeless people would be displaced as Centennial Park undergoes renovations, the people of Fort Myers have stepped up. They’re donating supplies to make sure the homeless are comfortable and protected.

There are plenty of bags of clothes and food coming around. “There’s plenty of bags.”

Seeing the homeless people in Centennial Park struggling hit close to home for Jessica Thurston. “I have been in a similar situation in 2012,” Thurston said. “I have family that have been through this predicament many years ago. It’s heartbreaking.”

After seeing it last night, she said she’s had enough and that she had to do something. “When I woke up this morning, I started packing all the stuff. And I have plenty of stuff. That I was blessed with, that I no longer use in need,” Thurston said.

“A lot of canned goods and stuff that they can eat at the moment,” she added.

Richard Westmeyer says he felt the same way and felt called to donate his belongings as well. “I don’t ever want to be in this situation I think the only way to assure that I don’t wind up in the situation is to help fight it,” Westmeyer said. “Better to fight it now that I’m not in the situation that some of these people are in.”

Westmeyer thinks even more people should step up help. “It’s a shame,” he said.

Thurston said, “They have nowhere to go no housing, no food, no shelter, no bathing, nothing and they’re looking for answers.”

The official date that the park will close is still up in the air. WINK News Reporter Andryanna Sheppard reached out to the City of Fort Myers about it and still waiting to hear back.