CUYAHOGA COUNTY, Ohio — A community-wide effort of businesses all across Northeast Ohio are stepping up to help those impacted by Hurricane Helene. One place in particular is Mario’s Barbershop in Parma.
“We’ve stepped up. Not me. Northeast Ohio,” said Mario Innocenzi of Mario’s Barbershop in Parma.
Innocenzi’s daily responsibility is to serve his clients, but says when duty calls, he’s quick to put on his cape and help those in need.
“I’m very fortunate to have what I have today,” Innocenzi said. “We’re all here and we have to help each other."
Days before Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida, Innocenzi had just left after celebrating a special occasion.
“My anniversary is September 21. We went down and all over the news, it was this storm coming in and Tammy and I looked at each other and said we were supposed to stay a couple extra days. I said, 'we better get out of dodge,'” Innocenzi said.
As Innocenzi watched the devastation Hurricane Helene caused, he told News 5 it brought tears to his eyes.
“It breaks my heart. It’s horrible when people lose everything,” Innocenzi said.
Rather than feeling helpless, Innocenzi said he’s been rallying the community together to collect things like water and non-perishable food items, all-new clothes for men, women and children, diapers and wipes.
“Once our trailer is filled up and loaded, we’re hoping by next Saturday to contact and figure out where we’re going to go,” Innocenzi explained.
Meanwhile, a 40-foot trailer once parked outside of Flava Catering in Garfield Heights on Thursday is gearing up to head to North Carolina as early as Friday thanks to multiple businesses, including Ronda Stubbs-Tatum’s restaurant.
“Close your eyes and imagine everything that you have ever had in your life, down to a photo, is gone,” said Ronda Stubbs-Tatum of Flava Catering. “How could you not want to help?”
The owners held a drive from 1-10 p.m. on Thursday to support those impacted by Hurricane Helene.
“We have a lot to be thankful for here, but I am even more grateful to be able to provide this opportunity to give,” Stubbs-Tatum said.
Innocenzi told News 5 he’s grateful to be in this position where he can help each time and encourages other salons and barbershops to do the same.
“If I could do this and barely get by, I would just do that for the rest of my life. Go help people,” he said.
Other items Innocenzi is accepting are blankets, gloves, hats and bedding.
You can drop these items off at Mario’s Barbershop. The address is 7526 Broadview Road, Parma, OH 44134. It’s inside the Pleasant Valley Shopping Center.
Innocenzi has also set up a GoFundMe to support the volunteers’ lodging, fuel and food.
CLICK HERE to donate.
