Support Hurricane Milton Relief for Floridians

Reflecting Hurricane Helene-Milton One Year Later

1 year ago yesterday, as the Fort Myers Hurricane Ian program was planning to close and host their own goodbye dinner / celebration of resiliency, we were forced to evacuate to Orlando due to the incoming Hurricane Helene.  1 year ago today, Hurricane Helene hit the Tampa area - a Category 4 hurricane that caused widespread flooding and damage to thousands of homes in the area.  Two days after evacuating, a group of us were already formulating a plan on how to respond. Two days after that, we were in Pasco County, connecting to local leaders to figure out the best plan of action.

As I reflect on this past year here, I am reminded of all of the wonderful people who have passed through. To the amazing staff who started things off in those first few crazy weeks - Eleven, Scott, Genevieve, Brenda, Matt, Meg - your dedication in those early days has allowed this program to become what it is today. To the hardworking DART volunteers who wore many different hats, working long hours 6/7 days a week, whether it was building bunk beds, calling homeowners, cooking dinner, gutting homes, walking door to door and assessing homes, and working late hours in our first base (a jail!) - we appreciate your dedication and commitment to this community.

To all of the fantastic staff and volunteers who have passed through in the past year, I remember each and every one of you. Your willingness to give up your time away from home, from your families and friends and jobs and schools and routine - whether it was for one day or 6 months - does not go unnoticed. We would be nothing and would not have accomplished so much without all of you.  Whether it was gutting a home, conducting mold sanitations, installing drywall, canvassing neighborhoods, or being a base manager - all of your hard work to support this community has allowed us to accomplish so much.  100 homes have been mucked and gutted, 75 homes have completed mold sanitations, 31 have had debris removed, 15 homes have had repairs completed, and 19 homes have completed FDF repairs with contractors.  That's over 20,000 hours of work put into Pasco County from All Hands & Hearts!

I am reminded in those early days after the storms of the resiliency we saw in this community. While there was much devastation - many people losing their homes, their personal belongings and memories, perhaps their sense of safety - there was much to be hopeful for. Local grassroots groups came together to collect donations and spontaneous volunteers were organized to support individuals in need. Neighbors helped neighbors gut their homes, removing flood damaged items early on to help each other get one step closer to recovery. We saw groups driving around passing out food and water, asking how they could help, to everyone they passed by.

While these two back to back storms caused a lot of devastation up along the coast, it also gave me hope to see how many people came along to offer help and support - whether it was gutting a home, giving food, collecting donations, or just being a listening ear to those in need.

Those first few weeks/months were a crazy time, but it was all of you who helped keep me going, so I am thankful to each and every one of you!  Remember the reason why we are here, and keep up that enthusiasm as we finish off these next few months strong.

Heather - AH&H Staff Member

Links:

• One Year Later: Stories of Strength and Resilience with AH&H