United Way Suncoast, All Faiths Food Bank prepare 6,000 disaster resiliency kits

SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) - Just in time for the peak of hurricane season, United Way Suncoast and All Faiths Food Bank have teamed up with funding from Verizon to assemble and distribute thousands of emergency disaster preparedness kits to local families in need.Dozens of volunteers gathered Friday morning to assemble the kits, which are designed to help families weather a major storm.“Last year we gave away 300 of these disaster resiliency kits,” said Heather Koster, Disaster Resilience Officer for United Way Suncoast. “This year, when they asked me how many, I said, ‘Can we do 6,000?’ because we cover our five-county community. And they said absolutely, and Verizon helped fund that.”Ryan Beaman, senior director of operations at All Faiths Food Bank, described the quick assembly line of items being packed into each kit.“They grab their bag, they put the paperwork inside, then they grab a can opener, a whistle, a first aid kit, a flashlight, sunscreen, a cooler, a poncho, some wet wipes,