LAKE CHARLES— Just as there’s damage all over this city, so is the case in the Fisherville neighborhood as well. But there’s help from some familiar faces.

Resident Joshua Lewis said, “I ain’t gon lie it’s disheartening to see your city torn apart like this you know?”

This neighborhood of family homes is in shambles, which is why the effort to help them is so urgent and the United Way of Southwest Louisiana is here today.

CEO Denise Durel told WGNO, “We’re actually giving out groceries and water and gas gift cards and actual gas for generators. You just come on out and we’ll just help anybody any way that we can.

Providing gas is a big deal because these folks still don’t have power, but the groceries given out today came from Second Harvest Food Bank out of New Orleans.

“This is what we do, and hunger’s always a disaster, whether it’s a single child going to school hungry or and entire community being devastated like this is,” said Second Harvest President Natalie Jayroe.

The community is doing its best to hang on. Resident Dorothy Cole-Frank remembered helping out our city after Katrina and is grateful for the assistance they’re getting.

“It was a blessing to them and to us to do it, and I just thank God for everything that everybody is doing for us,” said Cole-Frank.

Brandon Mercadel and his family drove out from Slidell to provide hot meals, saying they knew the folks needed help and that’s why they came.

“Man God’s been so good to me and my family that I just wanted to give back and it felt like the right thing to do,” said Mercadel.

In spite of the damage from Laura, the people here remain thankful and optimistic.

State Senator Ronnie Johns was on hand to help out and chimed in, “We’re gonna make a recovery. It’s gonna be a marathon, it’s not a sprint and it’s just going to take a long time”

You can help Lake Charles and the people affected by Hurricane Laura by texting LAURA to 40403. You can also donate to Second Harvest Food Bank.