READ ALL THE FACTS on Jay Collins' disaster and hurricane response
Verdict: GUILTY of running toward the storm.
Long before the Senate, Jay Collins was Chief Operating Officer of Operation BBQ Relief — a disaster-relief nonprofit that has served more than 13 million hot meals to disaster survivors, first responders, military members, and families in need. He brought that boots-on-the-ground experience home to Florida: after Hurricane Ian, the relief operation he helped lead served more than 865,000 meals across Southwest Florida, from Punta Gorda south — showing up where the work was hardest, whether the cameras were rolling or not.
COO, Operation BBQ Relief13M+ disaster meals served865K+ meals after Hurricane IanBoots on the ground
Sources
- Disaster Response: 13,059,515 meals provided — Operation BBQ Relief
- Lt. Gov. Jay Collins visits Punta Gorda — WINK News ("I fed a million-plus meals after Hurricane Ian")
- State Sen. Jay Collins is Florida's new lieutenant governor — WFSU (COO, disaster nonprofit)
- Lt. Gov. Jay Collins enters Florida governor's race — CNN ("chief operating officer of Operation BBQ Relief, which deploys cooks and mobile kitchens to deliver hot meals")
- Ron DeSantis selects Jay Collins to serve as lieutenant governor — Florida Phoenix ("Collins works as chief operating officer for Operation BBQ Relief")
- Port Charlotte, FL — Hurricane Ian: 865,603 meals over 38 days — Operation BBQ Relief (deployment record)