SARASOTA, Fla. – A shell of a home remains in Sarasota as crews work to repair what Tropical Storm Debby destroyed.
“The water was about this high,” said Kelly Miller, director of Purpose House Transitional Homes, as she held her hand about waist high. “But because it soaked up we had to tear all the drywall down. We’ve had this home for ten years. Just the guys here were family. They’re still family today.”
The home in the Pinecraft area of Sarasota housed nine men. Each was on a journey and had just completed detox and treatment, then began a 12-step recovery program.
“It was just so sad because the guys in the house, they just started getting their things back and they started rebuilding their lives and then all of that was taken away from them,” said Miller.
On August 5, the work inside the home came to a halt as water from the Phillippi Creek poured in.
“It’s …