Florida: One Year Later
Reflections on Rebuilding After the Hurricanes

By Sarah Dudley & Crystal N. Hill

Photos by: Andy Todd

The hurricanes that devastated Florida and the tsunami that affected much of South Asia reminded us that it is possible to respond to a disaster, even from afar. Many people participated in bake sales, coin collections, read-a-thons or purchased a red "Tsunami Relief" bracelet to raise funds for the relief efforts.

More than 140,000 volunteers gave nearly six million hours of their time responding to the hurricanes that devastated Florida in 2004, according to "Extraordinary Need, Extraordinary Response: Volunteer Centers Respond to the 2004 Hurricanes," a recently released report from the Points of Light Foundation. This volunteer effort in Florida, which is valued at more than $100 million, was the largest recorded volunteer mobilization in U.S. history.

Though Florida Volunteer Centers effectively and rapidly responded to the urgent and immediate needs of Florida residents, there is still work to be done to fully rebuild areas of Florida hardest hit by the hurricanes.

One of the Foundation's team members, Sarah Dudley, reflects on her recent experience traveling to Florida with a youth group engaged in the rebuilding efforts:

The Pilgrim Fellowship (PF) youth group of Guilford, Conn., discovered firsthand that there is nothing like "being there." PF is a non-denominational high school group of more than 100 young people, sponsored by the First Congregational Church of Guilford. This group is one of many that used their school vacation to bring a dose of enthusiasm, compassion, and hope to communities in need. As a high school student, I participated in PF; however, this year I had the privilege to work with PF in a different capacity – as one of their advisors on a trip to Lake Wales, Florida.

Prior to departing for Florida, the youth were aware that the area's needs were still great. They arrived in Florida and witnessed the reality that although ten months had passed since four violent hurricanes ripped through the state of Florida, yards were still full of debris and downed trees. Bright blue tarps adorned the tops of many houses. Projects undertaken by homeowners had been abandoned when funding, energy, or both, ran out. We realized that it takes months, even years, to fully recover from a disaster.

Participants on the trip voiced their concerns – that the public had forgotten about Florida; that often times we don't realize how much it takes to fully recover from a disaster; that with so much damage to a home, residents can't afford to all of the needed repairs; that they understood how one could begin to feel hopeless in such a situation.

Fortunately, working with community relief groups, PF was able to accomplish a considerable amount in just seven days. Homes were repaired, tree limbs removed and yards cleared of debris. Community members were impressed by the material aid, but more so by the fact that their struggles were remembered by a group of kids they had never met, traveling more than 1,200 miles to share in the rebuilding of their community.

The outreach was equally significant for the group. Providing help to others in the wake of a disaster instilled important values in this group of young people. Reflecting on the workday one evening, group members shared their feelings of usefulness, accomplishment, fulfillment, and satisfaction – not just in responding to a natural disaster, but also in serving the needs of fellow human beings.