Guest Commentary: What it means to ‘Be the Light’ in our community
Hurricane season can be a frightening and traumatic time for all of us. It’s crucial to make sure your family is prepared. Unfortunately, many families in our local community are still dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, let alone preparing for the next storm. It’s been one year since Ian, and some are still left without a job or a permanent place to call home.
The moment the storm hit, we at Better Together knew the natural disaster could push more families into crisis. Every day, we help families weather life’s storms, homelessness, addiction, medical emergencies. As soon as Ian passed, we mobilized hundreds of volunteers to go door-to-door, eventually going to 10,000 homes, to meet the needs of those most affected, delivering meals and supplies, tarping roofs, connecting job seekers to employers and providing host families to care for children who were displaced by the storm.
During our outreach events, as night would settle in, staff and volunteers noticed how dark the homes were without power. We realized the need for light. This is how our “Be the Light” campaign came to be. We wanted to share a little positivity and light with the community, while also assessing families’ needs and preparing them for any future storms.
With help from the Florida Disaster Relief Fund and sponsor CITY Furniture, we are distributing solar lights to the residents of Harlem Heights, Suncoast Estates, Pine Island and beyond. We not only want to help support families physically, but also provide emotional support and remind them that they are not alone in life’s storms. We are so grateful to have the assistance of our dedicated volunteers and church partners who help us offer hope and relief to those who need it during these challenging times.
Our first stop was the south Fort Myers neighborhood of Harlem Heights. Not even the Florida afternoon storms could stop us. Our team and volunteers went door-to-door with solar-powered lights, provided valuable hurricane preparation information and shared additional ways Better Together can help provide aid. We distributed over 300 lights to more than 100 families in the matter of a few hours.
Our next stop was Suncoast Estates, where we delivered hundreds more lights.
Ahead of Hurricane Idalia, we spent the day on Pine Island making sure that families had resources ahead of the storm. After the storm passed, we packed up our truck and delivered lights and supplies to families in North Florida as well.
These distribution experiences are so impactful. They not only allow us to connect with families in need of our programs, but they also allow us to offer hope. When one of our teams in Suncoast knocked on Jacqueline’s door, they were greeted with big smiles. “We are so blessed and grateful for all of your help,” Jacqueline said.
Through this outreach, we have found that many families are still struggling with storm recovery. Many rent but their landlords have not completed repairs. Some own their homes, but government resources and private insurance did not make them whole. On the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Ian, we rallied volunteers to deliver much-needed supplies to 15 of these families in the Harlem Heights, Suncoast Estates and Pine Island communities, providing a variety of necessities including beds, diapers, sheets and pillows, wipes, toys for the children and gift cards.
And we’re not done yet. Just as we responded to our community one year ago, Better Together continues to serve the evolving needs of our local neighbors today and beyond. Recovery is not a process that can be accelerated by a quick influx of dollars and short-lived support. It requires commitment and a long-term investment of resources and relationships to maintain momentum.
We’re here. We’re in it for the long haul.
But we can’t do it alone. To reach our goal of helping as many people as possible, we need volunteers and support. I invite you to join us in being the light for families in crisis. If you are interested in becoming part of our campaign and volunteering at our upcoming events, you can visit BetterTogetherUS.org/Give-Help or text 239-470-2733 to get involved.
This is just the beginning, and I can’t wait to see all that we can accomplish together!
Megan Rose is CEO of Better Together, a nonprofit organization that helps parents and families. To help families in your community, get help or donate, visit bettertogetherus.org or call 239-470-2733.