November 21, 2008

Farmworkers, tornado victims will get help

DENISE O’TOOLE KELLY | FLORIDA CATHOLIC STAFF

Published: 08.20.08

ORLANDO | Farmworker communities and tornado victims emerged Wednesday, Aug. 20, as the initial targets of storm relief efforts by Florida’s coalition of Catholic Charities agencies.

“Tropical Storm Fay destroyed the fall tomato crop, which had just been planted,” said Deacon Marcus Hepburn, emergency management specialist for the Florida Catholic Conference. As part of that role, Hepburn coordinates the coalition, known as Catholic Network Florida.

He said the network’s damage assessements show a particularly strong need among farmworkers in communities including Immokalee, LaBelle and Clewiston in the Diocese of Venice and in southern Brevard County in the Diocese of Orlando, where the storm left flood and tornado victims in its wake.

“We’re making some arrangements for assistance in the form of food distribution out of Immokalee,” Hepburn said. “In the Diocese of Orlando, we still don’t have a clear idea of the damages, but earlier we did get a count of 51 homes damaged or destroyed.”

He noted that typically such damage counts go up, not down, as the situation becomes more fully known. The diocesan Catholic Charities efforts from both Venice and Orlando will include some financial backing from Catholic Charities USA in Washington, D.C., he said.

After passing through Key West Monday afternoon, Aug. 18, leaving minimal damage, Tropical Storm Fay made landfall shortly before 5 a.m. Tuesday about 55 miles south of Fort Myers. The storm moved northeast across the state for a day and a half. Fay’s sustained winds remained around 60 mph for most of the trek, so wind damage was not a major issue, but flooding was intense in parts of the Venice, Palm Beach and Orlando dioceses. As of Wednesday afternoon, Fay was over the Atlantic and was expected to take aim at the state’s east coast, probably between Daytona Beach and St. Augustine.

Hepburn said the flooding woes left many families in the affected areas that were already struggling in greater need. He suggested those who want to help make donations of money to Catholic Charities agencies or food to pantries.

Farmworker communities and tornado victims emerged Wednesday, Aug. 20, as the initial targets of storm relief efforts by Florida’s coalition of Catholic Charities agencies.

“Tropical Storm Fay destroyed the fall tomato crop, which had just been planted,” said Deacon Marcus Hepburn, emergency management specialist for the Florida Catholic Conference. As part of that role, Hepburn coordinates the coalition, known as Catholic Network Florida.

He said the network’s damage assessments show a particularly strong need among farmworkers in communities including Immokalee, LaBelle and Clewiston in the Diocese of Venice and in southern Brevard County in the Diocese of Orlando, where the storm left flood and tornado victims in its wake.

“We’re making some arrangements for assistance in the form of food distribution out of Immokalee,” Hepburn said. “In the Diocese of Orlando, we still don’t have a clear idea of the damages, but earlier we did get a count of 51 homes damaged or destroyed.”

He noted that typically such damage counts go up, not down, as the situation becomes more fully known. The diocesan Catholic Charities efforts from both Venice and Orlando will include some financial backing from Catholic Charities USA in Washington, D.C., he said.

After passing through Key West Monday afternoon, Aug. 18, leaving minimal damage, Tropical Storm Fay made landfall shortly before 5 a.m. Tuesday about 55 miles south of Fort Myers. The storm moved northeast across the state for a day and a half. Fay’s sustained winds remained around 60 mph for most of the trek, so wind damage was not a major issue, but flooding was intense in parts of the Venice, Palm Beach and Orlando dioceses. As of Wednesday afternoon, Fay was over the Atlantic and was expected to take aim at the state’s east coast, probably between Daytona Beach and St. Augustine.

Hepburn said the flooding woes left many families in the affected areas that were already struggling in greater need. He suggested those who want to help make donations of money to Catholic Charities agencies or food to pantries.

 

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