Snell Isle Church Mobilizes Big Effort for Hurricane Outreach
Featured image: Youth Ministry Director Andrew Johnson and Life Teen Core member Chris Griffin with help youth fill sandbags
It’s been well over a month since hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida, and neighborhoods are still feeling her wrath. The communities of Snell Isle and Shore Acres, and their neighboring areas, are among some of the hardest hit in St. Pete. As you drive down Snell Isle Boulevard and into Shore Acres you see the remnants of what once made a home now tossed on the side of the road. The debris piles seem endless and the loss they represent are sobering. Amazingly, what has not been lost is the hopeful spirit of so many homeowners within these communities, and a large part of this is due to the outreach and assistance of so many. One such group is St. Raphael Catholic Church. Led by Father Curtis Carro, St. Raphael’s has helped over 100 homeowners within their parish since the storms hit.
“It all began the night of Helene when the flood waters began to reach Idalia levels, and the Parish Pastoral Council realized the gravity of the situation,” Father Curtis explains. “We sent out a communication to the parish before 10 pm as the water kept rising that ‘we were all in this together’ and that there would be a communal effort.”
Church members immediately asked for any information on anyone who needed help, or was available and willing to help others. They set up a staging ground on the church grounds for volunteers the next day. On Friday, September 27, volunteers gathered equipment for clean-up, made plans for food and water for volunteers and those affected, and collected addresses of those in need.
Says Father Curtis, “On Saturday people started showing up, and we kept directing them to addresses as requests came in. Others who had come to help their own friends and family offered to further help those in need.” Starting bright and early, St. Raphael volunteers got to work helping flood victims. The effort continued Sunday and went on through the week, and they gradually became aware of people in need they had yet to reach.
“As we approached the next weekend, we held a town hall to organize an important effort to help seniors who had not yet begun the work of remediation,” Father Curtis explained. “There were quite a few of them; we looked for the houses without a pile out front.”
The Parish Pastoral Council also started to think about what the community might need after remediation. Father Curtis explained in an email, “It is estimated that over 19,000 homes flooded in Pinellas County. We estimate 700 of the 1500 households in our parish community flooded. We will continue to organize the remediation and immediate help needed by our parishioners and neighbors. The Town Hall will also look to the future needs in the coming weeks.”
The church set up a webpage for those who still need help – or who want to help – with initiatives that will “serve all the souls in our community with dignity.”
“We have a list of nine initiatives that would be needed,” Father Curtis explains. “Transportation for those who lost vehicles and are in need of rides. Housing connections for people, shorter and longer term. Storage, provisions, spiritual care, communications, insurance, and FEME guidance. We also had to step up our pantry operations.” They have also considered ways to help with their pets.
Over the past month, volunteers of St. Raphael’s have stepped up to help its community in a big way. Father Curtis recalls, “A retired marine in his 90s needed help doing the work, but he also needed people there as he grieved the loss and memories of so many things. The Saturday after the storm, we found a single woman in her mid-80s with no relatives who stayed during the storm. She shared the fear she felt as the water neared the top of her bed.”
A St. Raphael parishioner and volunteer, Marcy Huber, reflected on how the church’s resources allowed them to adapt quickly to the needs of the community. “Our small groups were poised to respond. Our men’s group coordinated labor and tools, sorted out schedules, helpers, and locations. Many whose homes were spared from major damage invited families in, did laundry, watched kids. Our moms’ group arranged to have all the kids at one home, which gave the adults time to remediate flooded homes. The energy of some lifted those who felt crushed. In time, I think we will see our community has grown stronger.”
St. Raphael’s helpers were not just adults; even the youth group got involved. “Our Life Teen high school program is designed to bring the Catholic faith into action,” Youth Ministry Director Andrew Johnson says, “and when the opportunity arose for our students to serve in the community, they jumped at the chance! I was thrilled at the prospect of sending our youth out into the community. Youth ministry is all about teaching them to take ownership of their church and community. During our outings, the youth encountered real-life situations that truly moved them; like when we helped an elderly woman who had been stuck in her house for three days. She spent that time on her bed, unable to escape the rising waters, and unfortunately developed an infection on her leg. I was so proud of how our youth rallied to help her, showing her incredible love and care. It’s heartwarming to see them make such a positive impact.”
St. Raphael believes they have helped well over 100 households. “It’s hard to gauge exactly because of so many indirect and direct referrals. If we send a team out, it’s typical they will help a neighbor as well,” Father Curtis notes, adding that they planned to continue the work as long as they are needed. “We are hopefully finished with the remediation phase. Now comes the insurance phase, and people making decisions about their future. We are in this for the long haul.”
Learn more about volunteering or receiving help through St. Raphael’s at st-raphaels.com/storm-relief or call 727-821-7989.
