By: Alexis Gonzalez

The American Red Cross launched the Community Adaptation Program (CAP) in targeted areas across the country that are at high risk for extreme weather and have high levels of social vulnerability.

Through this program, the local field team in Sarasota County has worked to build the capacity of other local nonprofit organizations, helping to increase community resilience and lessen the impact of disaster-caused displacement on the most vulnerable.

Glama Carter, Community Manager of the Sarasota County CAP, has 25 hyperlocal community partners involved in local responses since the first June flooding.

"Our job is to enhance these hyperlocal partners' capacity, capability and continuity. The most important part of our job is connecting them. We are connecting the dots," said Carter. "We ensure that they not only know about each other but understand each organization's services."

In June, the CAP team led a "grey sky" workshop in Sarasota County to foster collaboration and response for the 2024 hurricane season. Multiple nonprofit partners attended the workshop to create a community coalition, connect and build relationships.

Little did they know their training would be put to the test immediately as the 2024 Hurricane season made a big splash throughout Florida.

Three partner organizations, all within 5 minutes of each other, used their training to activate and respond to Hurricanes Helene and Milton alongside the Red Cross.

Hurricane Debby brought rain and floods to multiple communities. Next came Hurricane Helene and Milton within 2 weeks of each other. The Red Cross and its CAP partners have been standing up responses for the past 5 months.

Flourishing

Flourishing, led by founder Margie Pierrelouis, works with young ladies 14 and older with life and job skills and their families to promote success as girls in the community navigate through high school and after graduation. Their mission is to help girls find their place in the world.

"When there is an emergency, we can get resources for our girls and their families. All while these families share the information with their neighbors and community," shared Pierrelouis.

One client had five children, one of whom had special needs. Pierrelouis could pick up and drop off supplies for the mother as it was difficult to leave her son alone while also providing an afterschool program for her girls where they could come in to finish schoolwork. Working with other CAP partners, Pierrelouis delivered tarps, cleaning supplies, sandbags and other needs to ensure their safety with the next hurricanes after they lost their home to Hurricane Debby and prepare further for Hurricanes Helene and Milton.

"Seeing CAP in action is exciting. We've been preparing for a response like this, and it is great to see how natural it came for all of our organizations to respond after Milton," shared Pierrelouis.

Mothers Helping Mothers

Mothers Helping Mothers provides basic necessities such as clothing for entire families, baby items, housewares, bedding, and decor for families in Sarasota and Manatee counties.

Long-time client Heather has faced the challenge of homelessness while she was pregnant with her now 3-year-old. Along with several health issues, Hurricanes Milton and Helene further pushed back her access to recovery. During Milton, the van she was sleeping in with her child flooded, and Mothers Helping Mothers was able to work with partners to get her into transitional housing.

"This is the first bed this child has slept in since birth," said Martha Brookley, Baby Equipment Specialist at Mothers Helping Mothers. "We try to step in to provide relief and resources. When Milton and Helene came through, we immediately got on the phone with our partners to see who needed what and activate the disaster response we'd been training for. The Red Cross did a great job bringing us all together."

Streets of Paradise

Streets of Paradise provides furniture to families who do not have access to new furniture, no matter their circumstances. During the first round of flooding in June, Streets of Paradise was able to provide mobile showers from their community-funded shower trailer at a county shelter, along with clothing and meals. They also provided residents who lost furniture with brand-new beds. The organization prepared and delivered sandbags to the community to prevent further damage and potential displacement.

Since Hurricanes Helene and Milton came through Central Florida, Streets of Paradise was able to furnish a home for a mom, her three children and one grandchild. This family lost their home to Hurricane Milton and received new housing. With a new home came the unknown of where or how she would furnish it. Streets of Paradise came in to fully furnish it.

"This case felt special because we received baby supplies from Mothers Helping Mothers to give to the oldest daughter's new baby," said Bryant. It was so special for us to surround the family with care quickly. They could pick out the colors and the furniture they wanted, which made them feel normal in a not-so-normal situation."

"The CAP program has become so ingrained in our community since its inception," said Thomas Fairley, executive director of the Red Cross Southwest Florida Chapter. "Through the training and open conversations, our partners were able to be prepared for when the hurricanes came. We [the Red Cross] got to see the impact they had on the community. CAP had a strategic objective to build partnerships ahead of time through the collaborative effort of having people come together and building relationships within those groups to help the community be more resilient. All this work came full circle in Milton."