St. Augustine shelter gutted after Hurricane Matthew

Judy Dembowski, the executive director of the St Francis House, showed Action News Jax their shelter that’s now gutted.

It was damaged by floods brought on by Hurricane Matthew.

“There were water lines, nearly four foot of seawater and waste water,” Dembowski said.

Their dining room also is now gone.

Dembowski said 5,000 meals were served in that room each month, but now the shelter had to set up a temporary dining area outside.

“We've had the usual outpouring of people wanting to make sure that people eat," Dembowski said. "Different groups, different restaurants, they're donating lunches and dinner and we're doing our best to serve it out of our courtyard."

Stanley Dickerson stopped by to get a meal.

“If we didn't have this place, we wouldn't have nowhere to eat,” Dickerson said.

They also no longer have a place for people to sleep. They are hoping to have some sleeping space available over the next few weeks as they continue to clean up.

If you'd like to donate, visit the St. Francis House Facebook page or their official website.

Cox Media Group