The Gettel Automotive Group donated a car to a veteran Dec. 9, a most welcome gift after his SUV was totaled while he was in South Sarasota County helping victims of Hurricane Ian.

Kirk Wildasin served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1992 to 2001. The honor graduate from the Military Police School was selected for assignment to HMX-1 Security Detail, the presidential helicopter squadron charged with protecting Marine One and the president of the United States.

The Venice resident currently works for Taylor Morrison Homes. Previously, he helped veterans while employed by the Veterans Services Office in Venice.

Wildasin, 48, has been an active board member for SRQ Vets since its founding in 2015. The volunteer-run nonprofit works with local and national organizations to solve local veteran problems.

During Hurricane Ian, Wildasin was in contact with family members and friends. Some had trees that fell into their driveways, trapping them in their homes.

He was able to coordinate where to go and who to help first. He also helped to clear roads, using his 1999 Chevy Tahoe 4x4 to drag trees to the side so cars could make their way through.

The work was so intensive that his chainsaw chain became dull. Wildasin drove to an equipment store to buy a new chain. On his way home, he was T-boned by another vehicle.

He suffered only minor injuries, but his SUV was totaled. The amount from his insurance company simply wasn’t enough to purchase another vehicle.

Gettel Automotive Group gave Wildasin a 2019 Toyota Corolla Hatchback XSE. He was recommended for the gift by SRQ Vets and Goodwill Manasota.

For the past decade, the Mosaic Co. has supported All Faiths Food Bank in its efforts to fight hunger in DeSoto and Hardee counties.Since 2017, Mosaic has contributed a total of $255,000 in support of the Food Bank’s Backpack program in Hardee County. The Backpack program provides students with food they can take home on Fridays to ensure they have enough to eat over the weekend, as well as during breaks when schools are out, a particularly challenging time for parents to put enough food on the table.

All Faiths delivers backpacks directly to participating elementary schools on a monthly basis throughout the school year.

In 2022, Mosaic donated $50,000 to provide backpacks containing the equivalent of five meals to 350 Hardee County children during the 2022-23 school year. In DeSoto County, Mosaic’s support began in 2012 for mobile pantries and soon expanded to include support for the Backpack program for children enrolled in DeSoto County schools.

Over the past decade, Mosaic has contributed more than $730,000 to All Faiths in support of ending hunger in DeSoto County through the Mobile Pantry program, backpacks for students and assistance in purchasing a truck dedicated for use in DeSoto County.

As a result of Mosaic’s support over the past decade, All Faiths Food Bank has been able to reduce hunger in DeSoto County by distributing 851,832 pounds of food at mobile distributions and providing 43,620 backpacks to ensure children have nutritious meals over the weekend.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Free Corolla goes to Marine vet, Mosaic supports All Faiths Food Bank