In the days before Hurricane Ian struck Southwest Florida, Catholic Charities, Diocese of Venice, Inc. was preparing for the worst, making plans to mobilize as soon as the storm clouds cleared.
Since that time, Catholic Charities has set up 8 Hurricane Ian disaster response Points of Distribution (POD), helping to bring water, food and aid to those who need it. Arcadia, Cape Coral, Wauchula, Naples, Bonita Springs and North Port each have one location, and there are three in Fort Myers. Additional unofficial distribution points have opened as the need has increased in parts of Lee and Charlotte counties.
At the Elizabeth K. Galeana Center on Michigan Avenue in Fort Myers there has been a steady stream of cars coming through the parking lot since the Sunday after the storm.
“There is such great need here,” explained Alex Olivares, District Director for Lee, Glades and Hendry counties. “The people who could least afford to lose power and subsequently lose work because of the storm, are really struggling. It is great that we can be here to help.”
Within the first day, the on-hand supplies of emergency food and water were exhausted and then the Harry Chapin Food Bank in Fort Myers made an emergency delivery. Subsequently, FEMA trucks began arriving in Fort Myers and at the other PODs.
“We were getting low on supplies but now we can help everyone,” Olivares said on Oct. 4, 2022. “Many people are hurting and there is no drinkable water anywhere.”
Nearly all of the Catholic Charities workers and volunteers helping to distribute emergency supplies in Fort Myers had some sort of damage from Ian. Few had power or drinkable water. One worker lost his home when storm surge came up the Caloosahatchee River into Fort Myers. Someone who has an Airbnb home in Ave Maria offered their place for the rest of October for free.
“They lost everything, so that is amazing,” Olivares said. “He has six people who needed a place to stay, now they are out of the area of destruction and have the time to put their lives back together.”
As each car arrived, shouts of “thank you” and “do you have ice” could be heard from the grateful people. “We helped a few hundred the first day and have doubled that since,” Olivares said. “We will keep going as long as there is a need.”
Jane Petry of Fort Myers arrived at the Galeana Center with her three children looking for water and food after a corner of their home was partially crushed by a tree. “The wind was terrible and then the neighbor’s tree fell and hit the house. We were all in another part of the house and are okay. We are still there because we don’t have the money to go anywhere, and we don’t want to go to a shelter and leave our home alone. This food and water will help us get through the next few days. Thank you all for being here.”
At the Centro Juan Diego Catholic Charities offices in Bonita Springs next to St. Leo the Great Parish, the scene was similar with a huge number of vehicles arriving early in the morning before the POD was operational and staffed.
Paulina Matias, who is part of the Catholic Charities Disaster Relief Services, said the need is great for the poorest in the community where damage was widespread. The impacts are being compounded by the loss of a businesses in the region, cutting off a livelihood for many.
Because of the losses and demand for help, Matias said there is a need for donations of food as well as gift cards to local stores.
“We are being proactive in helping people,” Matias said as adults and youth from St. Leo the Great helped sort and bag for later distribution. “We are already providing counseling and telling people how to apply for all available local, state and federal assistance. Every little bit helps. As time goes on, the magnitude of the loss will become clearer. The stories of the people coming in and sharing what they lost and horrors that they saw. We are here for their immediate needs and for the long-term.”
The scenes are being repeated at all of the distribution points. The need continues to grow as the length of time without power and nothing open for many miles put a stress on the poor. Even when power returned, drinking water is often unsafe. Access to gasoline and other necessities is making a very difficult situation harder for people.
At the POD at San Pedro Parish in North Port, the food pantry was emptied the first day before additional help arrived in the community inundated by 10-feet of river flooding. By Oct. 2, Florida National Guard members helped load vehicles, but they were replaced by volunteers after a few days.
Yuri Kaplan, of the Catholic Charities Disaster Response Logistics for the Diocese, scrambled from location to location using a forklift to unload pallets of supplies from trucks. “It is non-stop, but the work has to get done so people can get the help they need.”
River flooding of low-lying areas and standing water has made travel difficult, especially when Interstate 75 was closed in North Port for more than a day and the U.S. 41 bridges in Punta Gorda for several days.
Catholic Charities Diocese of Venice CEO Eddie Gloria, who has been on the go nearly non-stop since before and after the storm, is coordinating deliveries of supplies from FEMA and Catholic Charities USA, as well as other agencies. After a few early misunderstandings, the flow became steady and more coordinated.
“We had trucks scheduled to arrive that didn’t arrive, while others couldn’t find our sites because phones and mapping systems were unavailable,” Gloria explained how cellular service was spotty at best. “The first few days after a disaster are always the hardest. Catholic Charities was there on the ground and open after the storm and we will be there to serve the people within the Diocese of Venice.”
Because of the long-term need, Bishop Frank J. Dewane and Catholic Charities sent out a plea to the faithful and Parishes across the Diocese to connect with a distribution point to help augment the incoming supplies. While food and water are in urgent need now, there is a steady supply coming in. The need is transitioning to other necessities such as canned goods, rice, beans, cereal, pasta, oil and, diapers. household cleaning supplies.
There is also going to be a great financial need, with assistance to help people pay for rent or utility bills while out of work and much more, so gift cards are being accepted to help replace lost clothes and other items.
Those interested in supporting can do so online at www.catholiccharitiesdov.org, or send a check to Hurricane Ian Recovery to: Catholic Charities, Diocese of Venice, Inc., 5824 Be Ridge Road PMB 409, Sarasota, FL 34233-5065. Or call 941-488-5581.
It was the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, but the occupants of the vehicles were not going to Mass, they were waiting for food as part of a local distribution effort to help the needy in the area.
“I have three children and my grocery bill is nearly $200,” said Shannon Byrd of Naples. “I work. My husband works and it isn’t enough. Buying the basic food for my family is just too much.”
The reason for the increases varies: Russia’s invasion of the Ukraine; the market still recovering from the global pandemic; a recent avian flu wiping out chicken and egg production; gasoline prices; and the increasing costs at every level for farmers, production and grocers for labor and processing. The impact is real.
Maria Verde of Immokalee waited patiently at Guadalupe Social Services of Catholic Charities Diocese of Venice, Inc., in Immokalee on Aug. 15, so that she could get a bag of food for her family. She has two toddlers and one child in elementary school.
Many Diocesan Parishes support a variety of food pantries and food banks within the region. Please check with your local Parish on how you can help this effort.
More than 150 volunteers came to the St. Joseph Food Pantry in Bradenton to help sort and store 50,000 pounds of food on May 14, 2022. The food was collected during the U.S. Postal Service Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive.
The St. Catherine Council of Catholic Women was re-established during a ceremony in Sebring on May 7, 2022. The installation ceremony included representatives from the Venice Diocesan Council of Catholic Women who aided in this process. The Council acts within the Parish to support, empower and educate Catholic women in spirituality, leadership and service. The installation was presided over by Father Jose Gonzalez, Pastor of St. Catherine.
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul International President General Renato Lima de Oliveira visited members of the Sacred Heart Conference on May 5, 2022, in Punta Gorda. He congratulated the conference for their spirituality, friendship and their Vincentian Spirit. He was amazed at the size and ability of the conference to help the community in so many ways.
This was the message given from Florida Department of Correction (FDOC) State Chaplain Johnny Frambo to Diocesan Prison Outreach Volunteers during a gathering on Oct. 30, 2020 at St. Maximilian Kolbe Parish in Port Charlotte.
This effort was facilitated by Diocesan Prison Outreach Co-Coordinators Bob Hiniker and Joe Mallof, with the assistance of Anne Chrzan, Diocese Director of Religious Education. Items for upload include the Mass and religious education programming and other materials which focused on the teachings of the four pillars of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. This meant that the effort was developed from scratch and uploads to the tablets through the FDOC. This religious education programming is part of a larger effort to increase access to Catholic content for prisoners in the state facilities during the Pandemic and beyond.
Bishop Dewane, who celebrated Mass for the volunteers, praised the group for choosing to answer a specific call from God to serve the incarcerated, those who are often marginalized or forgotten by society.
Rick and Paula Hellenbrand from St. Andrew Parish in Cape Coral organized the first 40 Days for Life fall campaign in Fort Myers in 2011 and have been leading the campaign ever since. This year marks their 10th fall campaign. The award was presented to the Hellenbrand’s at the opening Vigil of the 40 Days for Life Fall Campaign on Sept. 22, 2020, in lieu of a personal presentation at the Conference.
While the honor as Diocesan Volunteers of the Year was special for the couple, Rick Hellenbrand concluded by saying there is an ultimate goal to this effort. “It is with much appreciation that this award is received, and with hopes that the efforts of all volunteers together we will soon win this battle to end abortion forever.”
The Council was already actively using virtual meeting technology before the onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic and the group went into “hyper-mode,” remaining ahead of the curve when everything shut down, explained Grand Knight Dr. Steven Wyer.
Council 15332 recently received the distinction of Star Council, the international organization’s top award for local councils. The Star Council Award recognizes excellence in the areas of membership, fraternal insurance benefits, faith formation programs, and service-oriented activities. Council 15332 has received this award every year since its founding in July 2011.
Six dedicated volunteers worked with masks and gloves in the heat for about three hours on Aug. 6, 2020 to ensure every family left with food. Afterwards was the clean-up, which included: breaking up boxes, storing tables, reviewing paperwork, planning for the next week, etc. That is also the time when supplies are checked so orders can be placed to ensure there will be enough to meet demand and the food on hand is organized and prepared for distribution the following week.
Catholic Charities CEO Philomena Pereira said that without volunteers the organization would be unable to continue to respond to the ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic. The six food pantries throughout the Diocese distributed food to more than 20,000 individuals in July, and more than 75,000 since late March, more than triple the normal amount.
“The people of Catholic Charities have been so busy helping others that they had never had the opportunity to clean up their own property,” Deacon deMena explained. “We cut down dead trees, cleaned up brush and mowed their lawns.”
The nearly 150 prison outreach volunteers were recognized for their work by Bishop Frank J. Dewane during a Mass of Appreciation on Nov. 8 at St. Maximilian Kolbe Parish in Port Charlotte. The outreach provides a variety of services, including Bible study, religious education and assistance with receiving the sacraments such as Baptism, First Holy Communion and Confirmation.
The group was also blessed to have two special guests, Florida Department of Corrections State Chaplaincy Administrator Johnny Frambo and Chaplain Father Severyn Kovalyshin of State Region 3 (which includes the entire Diocese).
Most days Gene can be found teaching a Bible study at St. Patrick Parish in Sarasota, volunteering to gather food and supplies for a homeless mission in Bradenton or serving as a Diocese of Venice Prison Minister at the DeSoto Correctional Facility and the Florida Commitment Center in Arcadia.
