By Darrell Fuller, American Red Cross volunteer

Hurricane Ian turned Pastor Frank Berridge into a believer – in disaster preparedness.

Berridge and his wife, Teresa, rode out the storm on Pine Island, offshore from Fort Myers, only to find their beloved community without electricity, without water, without support.

“Where are my angels?” he prayed.  And then, “I met a little boat that reached the island after the hurricane. A man walked up to me, put his hand out and said, ‘I’m Dan Wirth with the American Red Cross and I’m here to help. What do you need?’

“The Red Cross was so well trained, so well prepared, so professional,” Pastor Frank said. “I knew immediately I had to be a part of this.

“The Red Cross are experts in helping people. There were no Red Cross volunteers living on Pine Island. That had to change, and I wanted to be the first, but I’m going to make sure there are many more. We will be organized and ready next time.”

“We rode out Ian right here on the island,” Teresa Berridge said. “After the storm, we were in front of our home, soaking wet and praying, ‘help us.’ Our prayer was that simple. We were overwhelmed.”

The island did not appear to have an adequate emergency plan, and resources were limited, they said.  The bridge to the mainland was impassable. Downed trees and debris blocked the streets. “It was a mess,” she said. The couple started feeding people and collecting supplies.

Once Red Cross responders made it to the island, the Pine Island Community Church sanctuary became a distribution hub for free food and cleanup supplies. “A group of us moves the supplies against the walls on Sunday mornings for service. Then we fold up the chairs and put the emergency supplies back out,” Teresa Berridge said.

And Pastor Frank and his wife signed on as trained Red Cross volunteers. Like many others across Lee County, they filled out a simple form on-line and started taking free online classes to learn how the organization mounts its relief efforts.

“Every time I see Dan Wirth,” Pastor Frank said, “he would ask, ‘What do you need today?’ I would start listing our needs, and he would already have everything with him. He just knew. He was pre-prepared to meet our needs. I want to be that. I want to do that.”

“Frank and his wife Teresa were such great connectors on Pine Island, willing to serve and help those on the island obtain resources needed for their survival and recovery,” Wirth said. “Both are wonderful spirits and I believe they’ll not only become lifelong Red Cross volunteers, but also help to build a resilient community on the island.”

This isn’t the first time Frank Berridge has taken on a new direction in his life. For 30 years, he toured in various rock and roll bands as a bassist and front man. A rear-end traffic accident that left him with “a TBI (traumatic brain injury) and more than a million dollars of titanium keeping me together,” put an end to his life on the road and eventually led him to Pine Island.  

Now he’s determined to be prepared to help others prepare for and respond to disasters. “This is part of my calling,” he said.

To become a trained disaster volunteer, like Pastor Frank and Teresa, go to redcross.org/volunteer or call 1-800-REDCROSS. 

American Red Cross relief is free to anyone with disaster-caused needs, thanks to the generosity of the American people. If you would like to support the Hurricane Ian response financially, visit redcross.org or CruzRojaAmericana.org, text the words IAN to 90999 to make a $10 donation, or call 1-800-HELP NOW.