Bringing HOPE after Hurricane Helene
By Angie Matthiessen, Executive Director, United Way Charlotte County
For Charlotte County disaster relief resources, please visit: https://unitedwayccfl.org/hurricanes
As I sit here to write this column, Helene is making her way up the Gulf, and I find myself overwhelmed by emotion. I imagine many of you feel the same way. It is hard to put into words – the memories of Ian still linger, making this storm’s approach feel even heavier. We’re all praying for the safety of everyone in the path of this awful storm.
Personally, I can’t help but worry about our home of twenty years here in Charlotte County, but I am just sick to my stomach for where this storm is set to make landfall. You see, for one hundred years now, the Moore (maiden name) family has called Franklin County on Florida’s Forgotten Coast, just south of Tallahassee, a second home. The nostalgia and love we have for this area run deep, so much so my husband and I married there.
For generations, my family has traveled to these quiet shores. I can still hear the stories of my grandfather and all the cousins making their way from Tallahassee even before the Ochlocknee River Bridge was built. As reported on www.floridasforgottencoast.com/history, “the island of Alligator Point and Bald Point were inhabited 3,000 years before the Spanish arrived…. [the area] was the site of military maneuvers during the WWII era.”
This past Monday, my sister and I concluded our 4th annual “sista” trip at the Happy Shack. As we sat on the beach just days ago, we couldn’t help but reflect on how important it is to preserve the generational legacy of these memories. Later, I found myself driving the familiar back roads home from our beloved Alligator Point, just as I did the Monday before Ian struck.
But today, as Helene inches closer, I fear for the families and communities along the Forgotten Coast. Whether it strikes there or further east in Perry, where Idalia and Debby have already left scars, every location is home to generations --- steeped in family heritage and current day struggles for those who live there.
After Idalia, I visited those local United Ways, sharing gifts cards with their staff in the spirit of solidarity and support – keeping with the theme of our United at Work program and in response to how United Way of Charlotte County (UWCC) was treated after Ian.
The strength of the United Way network is evident at these moments. Long before Helene touched the Gulf, United Way organizations from across Florida were preparing, emailing, texting, and strategizing to respond. In addition, United Way Worldwide has been positioning resources for our beloved state (61 of 64 counties in a state of emergency). Those resources get funneled through United Way Florida, of which I sit on the board, and into the communities.
Looking back, in the aftermath of Ian, the power of this response was in full force, with immediate resources and funding funneled into Charlotte County.
Now, as the storm draws near, I ask you to help us support those in need. You can make a difference by donating to the United 4 Florida Disaster Response Fund, helping communities ravaged by these storms recover. Additionally, the Suncoast Disaster Recovery Fund at Community Foundation of Sarasota County will continue to invest in building resilience throughout the region. Through this fund, United Way of Charlotte County has twice been a recipient of capacity grant funding for our United at Work program, aiding us in case management and recovery efforts.
In times like these, we need each other more than ever. Together, we can rebuild. Donate now and be part of the response that helps communities rise again.
For the most up-to-date information on the relief fund, volunteer opportunities and links to a variety of resources, please visit www.unitedwayccfl.org/helene.
For more information about United Way of Charlotte County’s mission: Mobilizing the power of our community to break the cycle of poverty, please contact Angie Matthiessen, Executive Director. She can be reached at director@unitedwayccfl.org.