Hurricane Ian Resources and Response
Cleaning up after Ian:
Need help with clean up after the storm? Call the Crisis Clean Up hotline to be connected with disaster trained volunteers to help community members needing assistance.
Volunteering after Ian:
Volunteers need to be affiliated with an organization prior to a disaster so they can be properly trained, vetted and coordinated. If you are looking for a volunteer opportunity, please contact an organization in the coming days to learn how you can participate.
Volunteers are being managed by Volunteer Florida. You can find a list of disaster relief groups at: Volunteer Florida
Giving after Ian:
The best way to help following a disaster is to make a donation to a reputable relief fund. Relief organizations can use your money to buy in bulk at wholesale prices the truly needed items; and they have distribution systems to get those supplies directly to the areas that need it most.
A financial donation prevents something after a disaster called the “Second Disaster.” It’s what happens when an affected area is inundated with donated items many of them useless to relief workers. There is little storage, limited manpower and no way of cleaning used goods. Donated items may not have covered storage, get rained on then mildew or go bad in the heat.
United Way of Florida has a Disaster Recovery Fund that will assist impacted communities in Florida Or gifts may also be made directly to a local United Way impacted by Ian. Follow this link to see United Way recovery funds that have been established in the wake of Hurricane Ian.
https://www.uwof.org/disaster-recovery-fund
After Hurricane Irma United Way of Brevard:
United Way of Brevard is a critical part of our community’s short and long-term disaster recovery efforts.Our United Way has significant disaster related responsibilities in the event of the storm. Our team members work at the Emergency Operations Center assisting 2-1-1 with answering hotline calls. We are also actively involved at the request of the EOC staff in coordinating potential water distribution as well as coordinating, recruiting and placing volunteers to help with many aspects of disaster response.
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Secured more than a half million dollars worth of items to assist hurricane victims and positioned additional food and water at our local food pantries and sharing centers
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Spent 180 hours answering calls at the Emergency Operations Center for 211 Brevard pre and post storm
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Recruited and coordinated over 400 volunteers to tackle 2,200 requests for help with tree and debris removal and roof tarping
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Provided case management to storm shelter clients and at the local Disaster Recovery Center
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Established the Hurricane Irma Fund to support those who were already struggling to make ends meet. And secured an additional $160,000 in grant funding to help our community recover
Brevard Long-term Recovery Coalition
Additionally, United Way oversees and is the fiscal agent for the Brevard Long-term Recovery Coalition (BLTRC) which was created following the 2004 Hurricanes. The BLTRC works to strengthen area-wide disaster coordination long after storms have passed. The BLTRC matches low income residents to available resources helping them to return to safe and secure living conditions. Since Hurricane Irma the BLTRC has completed 34 major projects such as roof replacements and 140 other minor repairs.
Once a storm has passed immediate help comes from disaster response agencies like the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army. The insurance adjusters begin evaluation damage and our community begins to make repairs. However, there is are some in our community who can’t afford to make the repairs to make their homes safe. When that need arises, United Way would make the determination activate the Brevard Long-term Recovery Coalition (BLTRC) to help our low income residents return to safe and secure living conditions. BLTRC uses grants, donations and volunteers to help make the necessary repairs. Case management works with each client sometimes for multiple years.
BLTRC has activated numerous times since 2005 but most recently post Fay, IRMA, Dorian and Matthew.
We hope you are proud to be part of an organization that is committed to, and cares passionately for, this community. Thanks to your support, United Way stands ready to accept the significant disaster related responsibilities we are charged with in the event of a storm or other disaster.
