Volunteers Restore Homes In Hardee County
Release Date: May 19, 2005
Release Number: 1539-447
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ORLANDO, Fla. -- After Hurricanes Charley, Frances and then Jeanne left trails of devastation in Hardee County, residents of Wauchula and nearby areas were faced with severely damaged homes, many of them uninhabitable. Some people wondered how on earth they would ever be able to put their homes – and their lives – back together.
Now, thanks to the warm hearts and helping hands of volunteers from churches and other community service organizations, along with federal and county aid, eight Hardee families have brand new homes and more than 60 other homes have been repaired.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has always recognized the importance of working with voluntary agencies and depends on their assistance during initial response and long-term recovery efforts following a disaster. Each of FEMA’s ten regional offices throughout the country has appointed a Voluntary Agency Liaison (VAL) to foster relationships, encourage collaboration and provide consultative support between government and voluntary agencies throughout the year.
The Voluntary Agencies Active in Disaster (VOAD) and the Unmet Needs Committee in Hardee County, a coalition of nonprofit voluntary agencies and federal and county government representatives, is just such a cooperative effort. The coalition assists families whose own resources are too limited to enable them to rebuild or repair their homes, and helps fulfill other disaster-related needs that may not correspond to any one assistance program.
“It has to be a community effort,” said Pastor Jimmy Morse of Northside Baptist Church in Wauchula. “Our county is coming back strong” thanks to all the help Hardee has received for hurricane recovery, he said. Morse particularly cites the effectiveness of combined support from FEMA, Hardee County, and many faith-based organizations.
A number of residents have used funds from FEMA’s disaster housing program to purchase construction materials. In Hardee County, 1,756 households received FEMA grants for home repairs, and 162 received funds for replacement housing.
Apostolic and Mennonite volunteers have already donated an estimated $500,000 worth of labor to build new houses and to repair storm-damaged homes in the county, and the work is expected to continue so that as many homes as possible can be repaired for eligible residents.
The volunteers working on the houses stay at Northside Baptist, with food and funds for their other expenses coming from an ecumenical mix of church organizations. Various churches, United Way, and private donors have helped fund necessities for the relief effort, ranging from computers to electric bills to expenses for caseworkers.
For example, Project Hope assists citizens 60 years and older with disaster housing needs, while Centro Campesino provides grants to help farm workers with funds for shelter. Christians Helping in the Recovery Process (CHIRP) acts as a last resort after other sources of assistance have been exhausted.
The coalition also acts as an advocate for disaster victims, working to ensure that they receive all available help from insurance companies, FEMA, and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), which offers low-interest loans for the replacement or repair of disaster-damaged homes and businesses, and for replacement of personal property. In Hardee County, SBA loans totaling more than $9.1 million have been approved for 298 households that suffered damage from last fall’s hurricanes.
Asked how many families in need of housing assistance this partnership of government and faith-based organizations expects to help, Pastor Morse laughs. “All of them,” he exclaims.
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: Thursday, 19-May-2005 17:14:24