Chef Joe Leone Collecting and Matching Water Donations for Hurricane Victims

Local chef and philanthropist Joe Leone is once again stepping up to help those in need. 

Hurricane Harvey dropped 19 trillion gallons of rain over southeast Texas and another 5.5 trillion over Louisiana. Many areas that are under water, and will be for weeks, don't have access to water they can drink.

Owner and chef of Joe Leone's Italian Specialties in Pt. Pleasant Beach and Sea Girt is collecting cases and pallets of water from residents of the Jersey Shore. After all of the bottled water is collected, Joe will match the donations. He is also asking that you drop off a note of encouragement, card, or greeting from the Jersey Shore. Joe is hoping to fill a 52-foot trailer that he will drive down to Austin, Texas and deliver to the Austin Disaster Relief Network.

Chef is teaming up with the Manasquan Elks. They are collecting adult and baby diapers, new socks, underwear, blankets, and pillows. The Elks have a trailer set up at the lodge at 17 Stockton Lake Boulevard in Manasquan.

Joe Leone said in a video posted on his Facebook page that:

We are all proud Americans and we all believe in each other.

Water donations are only being accepted at Joe Leone's Pt. Pleasant Beach location at 510 Route 35 South, and the trailer is set to leave for Texas this Tuesday at 8 a.m.

Joe is no stranger to coming to the aid of others. In May, Joe slept in a box like a homeless person on the Asbury Park boardwalk to raise money for the new Covenant House coming to Asbury.