October 14, 2024
Lakeland Kids Uplift Utility Crews with Snack Packs Amid Post-Hurricane Recovery
By Kyle Coppola
Lakeland Kids Uplift Utility Crews with Snack Packs Amid Post-Hurricane Recovery
LAKELAND, Fla. — In the aftermath of Hurricane Milton, which left Lakeland battered by high waters, downed trees, and widespread power outages, a small act of kindness has made a big impact. Briley and Braxton, two local children, surprised Jared and his crew from Gainesville Regional Utilities with snack packs as they worked tirelessly to restore power across the city.
The gesture, shared on social media with the hashtag #kindnessmatters, has inspired others to continue supporting one another during the city’s recovery efforts. “Lakeland is special because of the people who live here, we’ve seen so many acts of kindness and support. Keep that empathy going—you never know how much a small gesture can impact someone.” says Lakeland PD.
Utility crews remain hard at work, addressing the ongoing effects of the storm, while many Lakeland residents continue to deal with property damage and outages. As recovery progresses, both front-line workers and those behind the scenes are contributing to the city’s efforts to stand back up.
Local authorities urge residents to stay safe and continue showing support for their neighbors during these challenging times.
Photo Credit – Lakeland Electric
Kyle Coppola was born in Newton, Massachusetts and received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Communications from Curry College in 2016. After traveling to Florida on a family vacation, he decided he could not get enough of the warm weather and made the move from snowy Massachusetts to central Florida 8 years ago.
For the last decade Kyle has gained valuable experience in social media content creation, marketing and sales, writing, video production, sports announcing and even broadcasting for local radio stations, such as FM 102.9 in The Villages and FM 91.5 in Massachusetts. Every year he volunteers at The Villages Charter High School as a play-by-play sports announcer for the football games as well as a public address announcer for the basketball games, including the annual Battle at The Villages Tournament.
Outside the office Kyle is a husband and father to two beautiful girls along with their cat. In his spare time he likes to spend time with his family, travel, play golf and swim. He is also a huge sports junkie and even bigger motorsports fan and loves to attend racing events when he can.