Evelyn, a World Renew Disaster Response Services (DRS) volunteer, was interviewing Cheryl (name changed), a Hurricane Ian survivor, during an unmet needs assessment, a holistic assessment of a community’s unmet needs to prepare for hurricane recovery.

Cheryl shared with Evelyn that her home was damaged by Hurricane Ian, but more importantly, she lost her sister, her dog, and her business in the storm. As Evelyn guided Cheryl through the assessment process, she became very aware of the grief and loss Cheryl was experiencing. As they finished assessing Cheryl’s needs, Evelyn asked if she would like to pray with her. Cheryl explained that she had not only lost her family members and her job to Hurricane Ian, but she had lost her faith as well.

Despite her doubt, Cheryl prayed with Evelyn, and God gave Evelyn His words of comfort and hope for Cheryl. A few days later, Evelyn was meeting with another client at the walk-in center when to her surprise, Cheryl walked through the door! Cheryl excitedly shared with Evelyn that she was finding her faith again, and she was thankful that God used Evelyn to encourage her through the trials of Hurricane Ian.

Elena always longed for a home of her own. She accomplished her dream in September 2022. It was a milestone that always felt out of reach to her, despite holding an advanced degree and attending Bible college. Unfortunately, Hurricane Ian struck just weeks after her family completed remodeling the old-fashioned home.

Hurricane Ian swept across Elena’s town with 140mph winds, ripping off her home’s roof, siding, and carport. Rain poured down for hours and ruined most of the furniture that the family had just moved into her new home. Thankfully, FEMA provided temporary housing for Elena and her fiancé during the rebuilding process. Yet, without much knowledge about reconstruction, the couple found repairing the damaged house overwhelming.

Praise God that, along with our recovery partners at the Sarasota Long Term Recovery Group (LTRG), World Renew DRS volunteers were able to install new insulation, replace the ceiling, and repair the damaged walls. They also added a new closet and laundry area that Elena requested. “If God’s family didn’t come through in this difficult time, I would have lost my first home,” Elena said. “Thank you to the volunteers who helped me through this hurricane journey.”

Hurricane Ian hit Kevin’s* neighborhood with 22 inches of rain, causing problems that complicated their recovery. The standing water in Kevin’s home caused mold, ruining the drywall and rotting the floor. “Thankfully, I received assistance from FEMA,” Kevin said, “but I didn’t receive enough money to repair my home.”

When the Sarasota LTRG assigned DRS volunteers to repair Kevin’s home, they replaced the damaged drywall, installed new floors, and painted the interior of Kevin’s home. He is truly grateful for what he considers “top notch” volunteer work. “I thank God every day for the kind, caring people who helped make my home complete again,” Kevin said.

*name changed

In one home in Fort Myers, Florida, the damage caused by Hurricane Ian went mostly unaddressed for 18 months. The homeowners had packed their belongings in boxes that they piled in the dining room and the kitchen was gutted. The owners were making do with temporary arrangements for water and cooking. But by God’s grace, a group of students from Calvin University in Grand Rapids, Michigan, traveled to Fort Myers during their spring break in 2024 as the first volunteer team to work on the couple’s home.

The student volunteers removed the water-damaged flooring. They repaired some of the floor joists, put in a vapor barrier, installed insulation, and laid new subfloor. They also installed new drywall in bedrooms, hallways, and the living room. The homeowners appreciated the students’ labor and offered them fresh fruit and pastries, provided extra tools, and built relationships throughout the week. The students and the couple found new hope as they worked together to begin a journey of learning and recovery from Hurricane Ian.

Hurricane Ian was just the beginning of Janina’s troubles. During the storm, she remembers that she and her husband braced the windows of their home to keep them from breaking. Then they found brooms and swept the floodwater out of the house repeatedly. Eventually, an emergency crew in a boat rescued the elderly couple and took them to a community shelter to ride out the storm.

When they returned home, Janina arranged for the damaged areas of the home to be demolished. Unfortunately, the public adjuster she worked with to make the necessary repairs was accused of fraud, and Janina was left with a gutted, non-functioning home. With both in poor health, Janina worked with what she had. For 18 months, she got water and washed the dishes in a bathroom sink, and she slept on an air mattress in the living room. At the same time, her husband passed away and Janina was fighting her own battle with leukemia.

These troubles were heavy burdens for Janina, but she found relief when she learned that World Renew DRS volunteers would repair her home. The volunteers reinsulated the home, installed drywall, mudded and taped the walls, painted, and installed new flooring. They also replaced the shower, installed new bathroom vanities, replaced the kitchen cabinets, and repaired the electrical system throughout the home.

Overwhelmed by relief, Janina said that she didn’t even have to go searching for help – World Renew DRS’s local partner in Sarasota found her.

In the first two years of World Renew DRS’ response to Hurricane Ian, your gifts and prayers have brought positive, long-term change and hope to many Floridians.

THANKS to your generous gifts and others totaling $597,087, World Renew DRS volunteers are rebuilding homes and restoring hope to families in Florida.