A pearl of great price

Hurricane Andrew survivors bring support for Charlotte County

by Angie Matthiessen, Executive Director – United Way of Charlotte County

It only takes a slight irritant to begin the formation of a pearl inside a mollusk. To protect itself from this irritant, layers of calcium carbonate are applied inside the shell, creating an iridescent treasure that is often perfectly round and smooth.

Natural pearls are considered to be fine, admirable, valuable and extremely rare.  

August 2022 marked the thirty-year anniversary of the destruction brought by Hurricane Andrew to south Florida. Fun fact:  The traditional gift for a thirty-year anniversary is the pearl. And like the pearl, thirty years after Hurricane Andrew made landfall in Florida, a new irritant brought about something equally fine and admirable.

While Charlotte County residents were seeing the devastation before our eyes in the days following our own natural disaster, Hurricane Ian, Bonnie Berenguer in Miami was seeing it on her television screen. She told me that God placed it in her heart to get involved.

“We saw the devastation over and over again and we wanted to do something to help,” said Bonnie. “During Andrew, we got amazing help from all over.” After having experienced the kindness of strangers during the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew, Bonnie knew the needs would be great for Southwest Florida after Hurricane Ian. She decided to reach out to United Way of Charlotte County to see how she could help pay it forward.

In connection with the congregation at St. Louis Catholic Church in Pinecrest, Florida, Bonnie put out a call to action for individuals and families who wanted to give help and hope to those impacted by Hurricane Ian. She started by sending out text messages to friends, and the word quickly spread.

On Friday, October 21, Bonnie arrived in Port Charlotte with 55 volunteers on a bus filled with HOPE.

In addition to spending the day assisting the crew of Operation BBQ Relief, they brought with them $8,675 in gift cards, blankets and sheet sets for the Charlotte County Homeless Coalition and 20 personal hygiene and safety kits donated by Advanced Care Solutions.

In addition to bedding, the Homeless Coalition was gifted with Home Depot gift cards that could supply their team with new tools for storm recovery and future needs. The Early Learning Coalition of Florida’s Heartland also received Home Depot gift cards to aid in repairs to child care facilities in Charlotte County that received damage.

Needs for Valerie’s House and Boys & Girls Clubs of Charlotte County clients were also addressed with some of the donated gift cards. As other needs are identified, the blessing of this generous donation from the other coast will continue to pour out in our community.

As our team began distributing these items to our nonprofit partners, I saw joy and hope on their faces. Seeing their faces light up was truly the greatest thing that has happened for me since the storm. We did not solve all of our needs that day, but each of us felt a little bit of relief.

While no one likes an irritant in their life, sometimes a smooth, shining pearl rises out of the water afterwards, providing a little beauty despite the storm. Our team at UWCC and our nonprofit partners are grateful to Bonnie Berenguer, St. Louis Catholic Church, Advanced Care Solutions and a bus load of volunteers for bringing HOPE to Charlotte County.

Charlotte County still needs HELP and HOPE for the weeks and months ahead. Donations can be made to UWCC’s general hurricane relief fund or to United at Work, to benefit Charlotte County employees, at www.unitedwayccfl.org/ian or by calling 941-627-3539.

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.