Story by Denise Wilson, Red Cross Communications Volunteer

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The luckywin has launched a new in targeted areas across the country that face both a high risk for extreme weather and high levels of social vulnerability. After Hurricane Ian devastated parts of Southwest Florida, Sarasota County was selected as one of 14 counties to pilot the program, launched in 2023.

Through this program, local field teams are working to build the capacity of other local nonprofit organizations to help increase community resilience and lessen the impact of disaster-caused displacement on the most vulnerable.

鈥淭he program is important because it started as a grass roots effort which focuses on the community,鈥� said Glama Carter, Community Manager of the Sarasota County CAP. 鈥淲e identify the needs of the community and talk to local organizations to see what they need to become more resilient.鈥�

As an organization on the front lines of disaster response, the Red Cross sees firsthand how chronic health and mental health conditions, food insecurity, and the availability of safe and affordable housing are worsened by disasters. CAP teams are specifically seeking out local nonprofit organizations already at work in their communities with a focus in the areas of:

• Health: Broadening access to health and mental health services to mitigate the impacts of disaster displacement.
• Hunger (Food Security): Enhancing access to nutritious food to mitigate the impacts of disaster displacement.
• Housing: Empowering individuals and communities to mitigate the impact of disaster damaged housing and displacement.

More than 20 partnerships have been established to date to strengthen existing programs in health, hunger and housing with organizations serving Sarasota and surrounding counties. They are: All Faiths Food Bank, CASL (Community Assisted and Supported Living, Inc.); Church of the Palms Food Pantry, EPIC Community Resource Center of Englewood; Equal SRQ; Flourishing (Margwine Oraganization, Inc.); The Glasser/Schoenbaum Human Services Center; Habitat for Humanity听 of Sarasota; Harvest House; J5 Experience, Inc.; Laurel Civic Association, Inc.; Legal Aid of Manasota; Mayors Feed the Hungry; MOTE Marine (Aquaculture Research Community Food Project); Multicultural Health Institute; National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI of Sarasota and Manatee Counties); On the Spot Aid, Inc.; Queens of Domestic Violence Awareness; Sarasota Housing Authority; Second Chance-Last Opportunity; Second Heart Homes; and Streets of Paradise.

Some of the support we may provide to partners could include grants, subject matter expertise, data sharing and analysis, volunteer exchanges, training, and procurement of materials or equipment. Each agreement is unique based on the needs of the organization. In turn, our partners will commit to working with the Red Cross during times of disaster to help get local families back home and mitigate disaster-caused poverty.

Bringing nonprofits together is another aspect of the program. Recently, the CAP team led a 鈥済rey sky鈥� workshop in Sarasota County to foster collaboration for the 2024 hurricane season. Multiple non-profit partners attended the workshop to create a community coalition, connect with each other and build relationships.听

One of the attendees was the , a support network for girls that offers a safe and nourishing environment, emotional support and access to resources. Flourishing鈥痠s partnering with CAP in building community resilience by accelerating access to healthy and stable living environments, and helping break the cycle of poverty.听

The organization鈥檚 founder Margie Pierrelouis attended the workshop and expressed her enthusiasm about the collaboration. 鈥淗aving that collective impact today, connecting the dots, learning about what other organizations are doing makes us a stronger community as a whole to be able to get through the hard times.鈥�

Preparing for and responding to disasters is a team effort. By joining together with other local groups who are already helping in high-risk communities, we can make a larger and more meaningful impact.

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