Popular Ruskin restaurant battered by Hurricane Helene turns into donation center for families

The Fish House, a popular seafood restaurant in Ruskin, was wrecked by Hurricane Helene's storm surge. But instead of rushing to fix it up, Julie Cockerham, the restaurant's owner, is putting her community first.

RUSKIN, Fla. - The Fish House, a popular seafood restaurant in Ruskin, was wrecked by Hurricane Helene's storm surge. But instead of rushing to fix it up, Julie Cockerham, the restaurant's owner, is putting her community first.

It's turned into a donation center, helping families in Ruskin who lost everything.

"I have no capabilities. I lost almost all my fridges and freezers, and I haven't really evaluated the entire restaurant yet, just because this is more important. So, I figure if I can't be open, I can utilize this space to help everybody else," said Cockerham.

READ: Indian Rocks Beach surfer saves a dozen trapped in flooded homes during Hurricane Helene: ‘He saved us’

Just about anything and everything can be found on the picnic tables where customers once sat and enjoyed fried seafood and good conversation. Now, the stories are of devastation and flooding, but also of lending a helping hand.

"I rescued like five people when the storm came in," said Travas Strickland, a Ruskin resident. "I have a small boat. I pulled five people out. I even got a drowning dog out. We just did everything we could in this community to help each other out."

His family, including six kids, lost everything in the storm surge.

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"We are pretty much living out of a cooler. If it wasn't for this, we wouldn't have anything," he said.

People donating and picking items up said it's all about the community coming together.

"We are Ruskin strong. We stand together as a community. We always have, and we always will," said Ruskin resident Becky Edmonds.

The Fish House is located at 1902 West Shell Point Road in Ruskin. If you plan on donating, you can check their Facebook page for their most urgent needs.

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