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A generous couple in Florida graciously offered to take in more than 70 foster children who had nowhere else to turn when Hurricane Irma hit.
Marc and Jennifer Bell, who live in Boca Raton, received a call on Monday from SOS Children's Village Florida.
The foster care community had suddenly lost all of its power in the midst of the hurricane and desperately needed somewhere safe to send the children in their care.
Without a moment of hesitation, the Bells immediately offered to take in all the children who needed a place to stay.
"At noon yesterday, we got a phone call from the SOS Children's Village Florida saying we need help," millionaire Marc Bell told CBS 12. “‘We've been evicted from our shelters and we don't know where to bring the kids, and we're not getting any help from the county, what do I do?’ And I said ‘bring them here.’”
Because the kids were all terrified during the hurricane, Marc and Jennifer wasted no time trying to make them feel at home.
With everybody on edge, the Bells decided to treat the stay like a big, fun sleepover for the children.
"We had manicures for the little girls," Marc Bell said. "We got Bobby the balloon guy coming later to entertain them. Yesterday during dinner, we had a singer come who plays guitar and sang songs with them."
Marc Bell, a former Penthouse executive, and his wife live in a $30 million mansion, so they had plenty of space for the kids.
“They’re so grateful, just for people opening up their homes,” Jennifer said.
The couple agreed that taking in as many foster children as they could during the storm was “a no-brainer” for both of them.
"They don't have a mom or a dad, so they're scared, and then their house parents, even though they're there for them, they're scared too,” Jennifer Bell said. “So to have these kids feel welcomed and to just feel comfortable, as a mom it just makes you feel like you're doing something good. It’s knowing that later on, these kids are going to look back and they're going to want to help someone else.”
SOS Children's Villages Florida is now hoping for donations to help bring the kids back to their community.
Bell has since started a GoFundMe page to help raise money for the foster care community.
“So I got a call at noon from the head of SOS Children's Village saying they were being excited from their shelter and had no place to go. They were tired after being there 5 days, hungry, no showers and no electricity at their home. They asked for help, so Jenn and I said come over and stay as long as you need to while you fix your homes up for the kids to move back. We now have 70+ more kids living with us. Everyone is being so gracious asking to help and we need it. We need bodies to help the kids. We also need money to get their homes habitable again. Jenn and I are doing our part. Please help us by helping them,” he wrote in the description.
