"Beacon Of Hope" Shines On Long Term Recovery
Release Date: May 9, 2005
Release Number: 1539-444
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PINE ISLAND, Fla. -- In the aftermath of the unprecedented 2004 hurricane season, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the State of Florida and voluntary agencies, are partnering to develop long-term recovery initiatives to address ongoing needs and to provide a roadmap for communities to guide them in their rebuilding efforts.
With FEMA acting as facilitator of the planning process, local community groups, faith-based groups and voluntary agencies are coming together to form long-term recovery committees and groups to respond to the needs of Florida residents in areas that were especially hard hit. A shining example of these faith-based community groups is Beacon of Hope, a Lee County long-term recovery organization on Pine Island.
A few weeks after Hurricane Charley roared through Florida last August, a handful of resilient residents gathered at the Pine Island Methodist Church to begin the long road to recovery by organizing Beacon of Hope. It opened its doors on November 1, said Susan Corry, project manager, adding, “We’ve been busy ever since.”
Since then, with the support of local pastors, community leaders, and representatives from voluntary agencies, Beacon of Hope has reached out to hundreds of island residents in need of assistance in the wake of the hurricanes.
A variety of relief organizations and local groups, including the Lee County Long-Term Recovery Committee, the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army, along with parish collections from several island churches and private donations, have pooled resources to fund this faith-based community group. FEMA provided disaster housing assistance funds that enabled many residents to buy supplies to repair their homes. Then, Beacon of Hope coordinated volunteers to make the repairs.
A statewide relief group, Operation Blessing, paid for the transport of 22 new mobile homes to Pink Citrus, the Pine Island mobile home park that got hit the hardest. Local Pine Island volunteers organized to form Fellow Islanders Sending Help (FISH), to run a food bank and provide new household appliances for families that lost basic necessities.
The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) recruited volunteers from all over the country to come to Pine Island said Corry. “They helped repair homes and prepare for the next hurricane season. I call it a vacation with a purpose!”
Danine Francoeur, a caseworker with Beacon of Hope, knows firsthand how this group effort is impacting her neighbors, many of who were hard hit by Charley.
“There were pieces of metal everywhere,” says Danine, recalling her most vivid memories of that day. “I saw someone’s roof way up in a tree. It was very intense.”
Danine and her fellow caseworkers spend six days a week, sometimes 10 hours a day, assessing damage, coordinating volunteers and pounding nails. Beacon of Hope not only coordinates home repair and provides food and basic necessities, it also helps pay the rent.
“A lot of people had to spend their paychecks to buy tarps and do repairs to make their homes livable,” says Danine.
Although the work can be physically and emotionally draining, Danine says she doesn’t focus on the negative.
“I spent two hours the other day with an elderly couple looking through their photo album. They needed a little repair to the skirting (latticework that conceals plumbing) on their trailer, but more than anything, they needed company,” says Danine. “Every day I try to find my silver lining. When I can find a refrigerator for a family who really needs it, I can go home happy.”
The State Emergency Response Team (SERT) is a collaboration of Florida’s state agencies led by the state coordinating officer. SERT’s mission is to ensure that Florida is prepared to respond to emergencies, recover from them, and mitigate their impacts. Visit www.floridadisaster.org for the latest information on the hurricane relief efforts.
FEMA prepares the nation for all hazards and manages federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates mitigation activities, trains first responders, works with state and local emergency managers, and manages the National Flood Insurance Program and the U.S. Fire Administration. FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on March 1, 2003.
Last Modified: Monday, 09-May-2005 13:00:55