Bringing Hope After Hurricane Ian
by Angie Matthiessen, Executive Director – United Way of Charlotte County
How many of us felt a shiver of déjà vu run down our spines this past week? As my family packed up to evacuate on Tuesday, I made sure to grab my keepsake box. It holds many important papers, but one that gave me pause was a letter I wrote to friends and family in the fall of 2004.
In lieu of a holiday greeting, my husband and I sent a heartfelt letter to friends and family expressing gratitude despite the adversity of back-to-back hurricanes that year. Like many of you, I intimately know the names of Charley, Frances, Ivan and Jeanne.
In the letter, I wrote, “The gift of experiencing a crisis and the perspective of gratitude impacts each of us.” I reflected on several things we were grateful for, including the gift of our cell phone batteries lasting all day during Hurricane Charley, the gift of joy at seeing our house standing after the storm and the gift of prayers, cards, emails and voicemails from loved ones.
The gifts that were most precious to me during that time of overwhelm, fear and grief were the gifts of names.
The names I cherish from that time were Nancy and Wayne Rice, who showed up unprompted to help us clean up after Charley had passed. They loaned us a generator and their RV and brought us water and food. I cherish the name of Pam. She arrived on our doorstep the day before Hurricane Frances came and brought a sense of peace to us with her calm demeanor.
And now in 2022, I reflect on another name – Ian.
My experience during this storm is not unlike yours, I’m sure. Over the past week, each of us prioritized our families, our pets, our homes, our jobs and ourselves. We bought last minute supplies, boarded up the windows, watched the news more closely and made a mental decision about where we would stay when Ian was at his worst.
It is far too soon to know what memories and emotions I will forever associate with the name Ian, but I have found new gifts in the names of Bob and Nita, who took my family in during the storm.
I will also treasure the names of Steve, Beth, Julie, Kathleen and Traver, from United Ways across the state who reached out with sincere encouragement and offers of support for our team. I am especially grateful for the name Melissa Nelson, CEO of United Way of Florida, who let us know that we are all in this together, and that each United Way can lean on each other in the days and weeks ahead. We are truly a community United.
Each name brought with it comfort and hope before the storm.
And now, after the storm, I encourage you to think on those names you will associate with this historic event. What gifts do those names hold for you?
United Way of Charlotte County (UWCC) is a name you can count on to give hope to individuals and families impacted by Hurricane Ian. We have established a disaster relief fund to assist impacted community members. I pray that this fund can be a beacon of hope for those who were already struggling financially before Ian quite literally stormed into their lives.
In the midst of the storm, UWCC staff set up a webpage and a donation link, preparing for the worst. We did not advertise the page immediately, as we wanted to do a final edit before going live. Yet, somehow, within minutes of setting up the page on our website, a donor had already contributed to the fund. Laura is a name that gives me hope. Thank you for being the first to step up to give hope to Charlotte County.
The names that stick with me forever include Charley and Frances and now Ian. But they also include Nancy, Wayne, Pam, Bob, Nita, Steve, Beth, Julie, Kathleen, Traver, Melissa and Laura. What names have given you hope in the midst of the storm?
You can add your name to the list of those who give hope in Charlotte County. For the most up-to-date information on the relief fund, volunteer opportunities and links to a variety of resources, please visit our disaster relief page at www.unitedwayccfl.org/ian.
For more information about United Way of Charlotte County’s mission: Mobilizing the power of our community to break the cycle of poverty, please contact Angie Matthiessen, Executive Director. She can be reached at director@unitedwayccfl.org.