They’re called Jerry’s Squad, a group of town volunteers who help veterans, the elderly and disabled residents protect their homes before hurricanes arrive in Miami Lakes. They then take down shutters when storms pass. The Squad is named for the late Jerry Schneider, a Miami Laker who was a member of the town’s Elderly Affairs Committee and a veteran of the Korean War. The Home Depot store at 5500 NW 167th St., at the southeast corner of Northwest 57th Avenue and the Palmetto Expressway, donated equipment worth $5,000 to the Squad. The volunteers will use the the supplies to continue their labors on behalf of their neighbors. The gift included 20 or more tool boxes; drills; screwdriver sets; rain suits; sets of pliers; WD-40 lubricant; safety vests; zip ties; hammers; work gloves and safety glasses. Shown Sept. 15 at the Home Depot store are, from left: Renee Wilson, Town of Miami Lakes Grant and Government Affairs manager, Herbert Rodriguez, Home Depot store manager, Jeremy Bajdaun, Town of Miami Lakes Special Projects Manager for the Parks Department, and Christopher Fraga, Home Depot District Manager.
Photo by Elizabeth Golshteyn, Town of Miami Lakes.