OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. – The Salvation Army and leaders with Osceola County are working together to help Hurricane Maria evacuees a year after the storm devastated Puerto Rico.
More than 100 families were selected by county leaders and vetted through FEMA to receive Walmart gift cards Friday.
Andres Reyes said he lost everything after Maria. He was forced to leave Puerto Rico and make Central Florida his new home.
"I went through Hugo. I went through Hurricane Hortense. I went through George. None of those hurricanes compared to this," Reyes said. "This was a beast."
Like many evacuees, Reyes lived in a hotel for months. He said he just left his hotel last month and now lives in a mobile home.
"I need a few things here and there, but I've managed. It's been a very hard time," he said.
FEMA cut off funding earlier this month that helped Hurricane Maria victims with housing arrangements.
[RELATED: Puerto Rican families find normalcy in Central Florida 1 year after Hurricane Maria | Memories of Hurricane Maria remain at 1-year mark]
Reyes said he lives on a fixed income and does not have a lot of extra cash. That's why the Salvation Army and leaders with Osceola County stepped in to help.
The Salvation Army said it got $48,000 worth of Walmart gift cards from FEMA to go to Maria victims. Each family received $260 to help with expenses, such as groceries or clothing.
"Supplementing their needs on a day to day basis. That relief can go toward them paying their bills or paying rent, or even if they're still stuck in a hotel. That's another night or two of rent at the hotel room they can pay for," Shawn LaFata, with the Salvation Army, said.
LaFata said it was a small way the nonprofit organization could show evacuees they will never be forgotten.
"They've been through so much and that's the least we could do. We wish we could do more for them, but any way we can help out," LaFata said.
Osceola County Commissioner Peggy Choudhry helped the Salvation Army connect with the families.
"I am very proud to be joining the Salvation Army distributing gift cards to our citizens that are still suffering from Hurricane Maria. I want to thank this great nonprofit for helping and assisting our families in need," Choudhry said.
[MORE: Puerto Rican families in Central Florida get assistance after FEMA cutoff | What life is like in one of the hardest-hit cities nearly 1 year after Hurricane Maria]
Reyes said he is grateful for the money and called it a blessing. He said he has put off purchases to pay other expenses, and now he can get what he needs.
"I'm going to go buy some plates and spoons and forks. I don't have any," Reyes said. "I don't have pots. I don't have a pan. I don't have a way to make the rice. I'm going to go out and get all my stuff so I can cook."