WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — A Palm Beach County man with ties to Louisiana is helping to collect donations to assist people hard hit by Hurricane Ida.
Jim Lucas, a Wellington resident who is the president and CEO of Legal Graphicworks in West Palm Beach, spearheaded the effort.
MORE: Help for those impacted by Hurricane Ida
Lucas has family and friends who live in Louisiana, including his 88-year-old homebound father who resides in New Orleans.
He said his loved ones are doing OK after surviving the storm, but with no power and no running water, the needs are great for everyone there.
The New Orleans native is collecting non-perishable items including food, diapers, wipes, toiletry items, flashlights and batteries, sanitizing items and other necessities.
Lucas, who also owns a business in Louisiana, plans to personally deliver the donations by the end of the week.
"The original plan was I was going to deliver it myself. I'm hoping we get 10 times that much, and we have to hire drivers, and I'm OK with that," Lucas said.
Members of the public can drop off items at the Legal Graphicworks office located at 2475 Mercer Ave. Suite 201 in West Palm Beach.
"A lot of folks helped South Florida when we went through the hurricanes, and so we want to be able to send stuff back to them," Lucas said.
Call his office at 561-655-0678 if you have questions or need additional information.