Although Hurricane Irma struck in September of 2017, the impacts of the storm continued to be felt by many in 2018. Highlands County had the second highest amount of damages in the entire state. Blue tarps, fallen trees, and debris littered our landscape for many months. Many people found they were severely financially impacted due to under-insurance, lack of coverage, or lost wages. Seniors were disproportionately affected.
NU-HOPE Elder Care Services worked with numerous partners to increase awareness of resources, provide access to essential services and supplies, and arrange for home repairs. NU-HOPE also advocated for the needs of seniors and provided information to key stakeholders as to the issues faced by our older residents immediately after the storm and during the lengthy recovery process that continues even today.
However, NU-HOPE could not address these complex needs without the assistance of many community partners. To facilitate with the recovery effort, NU-HOPE joined with other community stakeholders in the creation of the Highlands County Long Term Recovery Group. This group continues to network and build a stronger base of resources for disaster recovery efforts. NU-HOPE also worked with grant funders to directly arrange for home repairs and partnered with local organizations to coordinate additional forms of assistance.
Below are some of the primary partners that assisted NU-HOPE in addressing the needs of seniors during the recovery period.
2018 Hurricane Recovery Partnerships
AARP
Habitat for Humanity
Highlands County Long Term Recovery Group
Salvation Army
Sebring Christian Church
Senior Connection Center
UMCOR
Weinberg Foundation
