St. Mary Star of the Sea Catholic Church feeds Longboaters after hurricanes

When attending a potluck with her neighbors, Longboat resident Sue DiNatale said the atmosphere lightened up for the first time after Hurricane Helene and Milton. Their community opened back again, feeling like Longboat's positive community again.

Sharing this with the Rev. Robert Dziedziak, DiNatale and Dziedziak thought it would be important to spread the same supportive environment with all of Longboat, no matter how the hurricanes affected them. 

St. Mary Star of the Sea Catholic Church hosted as many as 120 Longboat residents at a community potluck on Oct. 24. Longboaters from different condominiums and churches, such as Christ Church of Longboat Key and Longboat Island Chapel, attended searching for camaraderie and laughter after the past hard weeks.

Along with parishioners bringing food, the Lazy Lobster catered the event, with co-owner Michael Garey stopping by to show his support. 

"People have lost so much," said DiNatale. "We just want them to know that the church is there to help and support even if it's a hug or a little dinner or whatever. This is to let them know they're not alone."