wfn.org | [ENS] Already battered by Charley, Florida Churches prepares for Frances

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>]

Thursday, September 2, 2004

Already battered by Charley, Florida prepares for Frances

By Joe Thoma

ENS 090204-2

[ENS] Florida's Episcopal churches and their people are evacuating or 
battening down their property in preparation for Hurricane Frances' 
expected arrival. Landfall is expected at Melbourne in southern Brevard 
County by Saturday morning.

Coastal churches and Episcopal schools are closed, and some are preparing 
to serve as last-minute havens for evacuees from beachfront communities. 
"We will be open as a shelter," said Barbara McCaughey, executive assistant 
at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, on the mainland four miles from Melbourne 
beaches. "We're telling people to bring their own supplies, but to come 
here if they need a place."

Holy Trinity's new parish building was built less than three years ago, so 
it conforms to post-Hurricane Andrew construction standards. "It's built to 
withstand a hurricane, but Lord only knows," McCaughey said.

The Rev. Meg Ingalls, rector of Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, Fruitland 
Park, also has offered shelter to coastal residents. Fruitland Park is 
about 80 miles inland. Canterbury Retreat & Conference Center, 35 miles 
inland in Oviedo, also will be open as a shelter.

The National Hurricane Center has issued a hurricane warning for the east 
coast of Florida from Florida City northward to Flagler Beach, including 
Lake Okeechobee. A tropical storm warning and a hurricane watch are in 
effect for the middle and upper Florida Keys from south of Florida City to 
the Seven Mile Bridge, including Florida Bay. A hurricane warning remains 
in effect for all of the Bahamas.


Communications coop

On the initiative of Mary Cox, communications officer for the Diocese of 
Southeast Florida, the state's Episcopal communicators in the dioceses of 
Southeast Florida, Southwest Florida, Central Florida and 
Jacksonville-based Florida have a cooperative agreement to make 
communications resources available to each other if disasters including 
hurricanes knock out local communications.

"At this point, any of us could be in a bad way by Saturday, but I just 
wanted to say that if we're the ones left with our roofs intact and our 
ability to get online, let me know what you need and I'll try to help in 
any way I can," Cox wrote to her Florida colleagues. "We've got teams that 
have already had some practice with cleanup in Punta Gorda, so we're geared 
up --to the extent possible -- to help, either in your backyards or our own."


Province IV assembles

In the wake of Hurricane Charley August 13, Sharon Jones, former director 
of the Orlando-based Episcopal Counseling Center, called an organizational 
meeting of a group calling itself the Disaster Relief Conference of 
Province IV. The province covers the southeastern United States. The group 
met at Canterbury in Oviedo August 26-28.

The meeting included disaster-relief coordinators designated by their 
bishops as representatives. Goals adopted include the creation of a 
"portable church" to be mobilized to parishes whose sanctuary is badly damaged.

"When there is no crisis, it could be used to establish a new church or 
taken to youth gatherings," Jones said. "The other goal is that each 
diocese will have in place by June 1, 2005 a disaster plan. There will be a 
follow-up meeting at the same time next year to assess progress."


FIND continues work

Florida Episcopalians are pitching in with disaster relief through 
Orlando-based Florida Interfaith Networking in Disaster (FIND). Orlando 
priest the Rev. Canon Nelson Pinder is an active member of the FIND board 
of directors. "The news report 'Hurricane Frances barrels down on weary 
Florida' -- Yes, I think that is accurate," said FIND director Jody Hill. 
"We have all worked hard to respond to the needs of those affected by 
Hurricane Charley. The faith and nonprofit response has been amazing."

More than 37,000 care-giving volunteers have responded through 79 faith and 
social organizations and allied agencies, Hill said, adding that the 
collective effort has already:

* Protectively covered 4,611 homes/debris removal for more than 10,000 
residents.

* Provided 736 crisis support contacts as of August 26, including Sharon 
Jones and other staff of the Episcopal Counseling Center.

* Gathered faith and social organizational leaders together to raise up 
needs and identify resources to meet those needs.

"As much of our concern and energies are sadly being invested in Frances, 
we are not losing focus on moving forward to develop and enhance community 
interfaith and interagency networks throughout the impacted path," Hill 
said. "Continued thanks to each of you for all that you have done and 
continue to do to assist those impacted by Hurricane Charley and for 
whatever you reach out to do to assist others to prepare for Frances."

--Joe Thoma is director of communications for the Diocese of Central Florida.