Florida UCC churches organize helping hands in wake of recent hurricanes

The gulf coast of Pinellas County, Florida recently suffered a destructive double whammy within the space of two weeks.

Hurricane Helene, which moved up the shoreline some 100 miles to the west on Sept. 26, sent eight-foot waves surging over the dunes and low seawall lining the Pass-A-Grille Beach, some 50 yards from Pass-a-Grille Beach Community Church UCC in St. Petersburg. Then on October 10, Hurricane Milton landed to the south in Sarasota, inflicting sustained 100 miles per hour winds and 18 inches of rain on South Pinellas.

Hurricane Helene flooded the first floor of Pass-A-Grille Beach Church with about two feet of water. Approximately 29,000 square feet of flooring was damaged, along with 38 rows of pews in the sanctuary, as well as furniture in the Commons social gathering space. All the kitchen appliances were destroyed, and electrical plugs and sockets were ruined.

Days later, Milton’s winds drove barrels of rain onto the second floor of the education wing that houses the Montessori school classrooms, and the water seeped down through the first floor ceiling.

Clean-up at Pass-A-Grille and beyond

After the storms passed, church members sprang into action to help with clean up.

Congregant Dawn Quinn was inspired to organize a clean-up effort to not only help them, but others in the wider community. Church member and licensed general contractor Ben Freeman hired laborers and coordinated the details of the restoration effort.

The church put out a call for volunteers to assemble on Saturday, Oct. 5. Arriving to receive clean-up assignments were some 80 volunteers — strong, ready, and able. They had been encouraged to wear closed-toe shoes and to bring gloves, a mask, and any equipment that would be helpful.

The volunteers not only helped on church grounds, but went to 14 houses in St. Pete Beach, Treasure Island, and St. Petersburg. They dug out several feet of sand from Helene’s surge that had inundated first floor rooms, moved damaged furniture and water-soaked items to the curb, and then washed walls and floors.

The effort was so well-received that a second clean-up day was planned not only to finish cleaning up in the aftermath of Helene but, as it turned out, in response to Hurricane Milton’s impact, where tree damage from the wind had been the major destructive consequence.

Included was clean-up at the Gulf Beaches Historical Museum, built in 1917 as the original Pass-A-Grille Community Church before the current church was constructed in 1957.

On both clean-up days, the crews and homeowners enjoyed lunch provided by Operation BBQ Relief, thanks to church members Dane and Cindy Petersen.

Christian call to community

Organizer Quinn, moved by the heartbreaking scenes she saw, said she hopes the church can learn from this experience and devise a system that can even more effectively respond to any such future situations on short notice.

“Hurricanes Helene and Milton brought devastating flooding to our church, submerging it under four feet of seawater. The storms destroyed our community thrift shop, severely damaged our Montessori school, and left three staff members and more than 50 church and Montessori families with damaged or destroyed homes,” said Rev. Eric Elnes, interim senior minister of Pass-A-Grille Church. “In the face of this catastrophe, our members responded instinctively as Christians engaged with the wider community, asking, ‘How can we help?’ Our Helping Hands events are a direct response to what they asked for.” 

Churches helping churches

Meanwhile, Church of the Isles UCC in Indian Rocks Beach, Florida, also suffered damage as a result of these fall hurricanes. Folks at Plymouth Congregational Church in Miami heard about their plight and responded by traveling across the state to help on Nov. 10 and participating in a clean up day on Nov. 11.

They were able to fund the trip through their Cobb Family Plymouth Emergency Response Fund and announced the trip and opportunity for hands-on help to a sister UCC church in need. 

Rev. Wesley Snedeker of Church of the Isles was thankful for their help.

“People from Plymouth Congregational drove across the state last Monday to assist us in our recovery efforts following hurricanes Helene and Milton, which brought flooding, roof damage, and water damage from driving rain,” he shared. “The Plymouth folks were unbelievably gracious and helpful, helping us make flood cuts in our offices and presenting us with an incredibly generous donation from the Cobb Family Plymouth Emergency Response Fund.

“We at Church of the Isles are beyond grateful for their support and their ministry in our time of need.”

“It was a blessing to be with a team of volunteers from Plymouth Church going to Church of the Isles to help in their clean-up efforts as well as be able to deliver a donation to support their recovery,” said Rev. Hollie Schmidt, associate pastor at Plymouth Church. “It was a reminder of what it means to be part of the Body of Christ, coming together to support one another in times of need.” 

For churches interested in making proactive moves towards disaster preparation, a newly revised “Disaster Preparedness Guide for Local Churches: A Workbook” is available from UCC Disaster Ministries.

Rick Carson is editor of Celebrate Florida, a publication of the UCC Florida Conference, and contributed to this story.

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