Volunteers Returning To Rebuild Tornado Damaged Homes In Century Area

October 21, 2016

World Renew-Disaster Response Services is returning to the Century area to assist in restoring homes for tornado survivors.

World Renew will be partnering with the Escambia County Long Term Recovery Group (LTRG), made up of organizations that have been assisting low income survivors in their recovery since an EF-3 destroyed and damaged over 140 homes in February 2016.

World Renew will provide skilled volunteer labor to construct replacement homes and make repairs on others that were damaged.  World Renew teams, made up of an average of 18-20 volunteers, will be working in coordination with the Pensacola Habitat for Humanity and the Florida Recovery Team on recovery reconstruction beginning on October 24, 2016.  The volunteers commit to serve for three weeks per team rotation.

The group’s very first project on Monday will be the completion of two properties in Flomaton before they turn their full focus on Century.

Anita Totten of BRACE said the group already has a list of properties that need assistance from the Town of Century’s leadership, Escambia County’s Neighborhood Enterprise Division and a disaster case management team. But if anyone feels they need tornado recovery help but may not be on the list, they should call United Way of Escambia County at 211 or (850) 595-5905.

The recovery work of the Escambia Long Term Recovery Group is supported by State Housing Initiative Partnership (SHIP) funds and donations to the United Way Disaster Fund.

The World Renew reconstruction volunteer teams will complement the work of community recovery partners that include the Escambia County Board of County Commissioners, Town of Century, Escambia County Housing Finance Authority, Northwest Florida Community Housing Development Corporation and over a dozen non-profit and faith-based organizations including Catholic Charities, Florida Baptist Disaster Relief, Legal Services of North Florida, Pensacola Habitat for Humanity, St. Vincent de Paul, United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), United Way and over a dozen more organizations, many of which have been assisting survivors since the night of the tornado.

Greg Strader, executive director of BRACE said, “The Escambia Long Term Recovery Group is thrilled that World Renew has returned to our community”.  World Renew-DRS deployed 349 volunteers to aid low income survivors following our 2014 flood.  Those volunteers provided over 39,000 hours of service in our community”.

In addition, the “green shirts” as World Renew volunteers are affectionately known, served in Escambia County for over two years following Hurricane Ivan.

NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.

Comments

2 Responses to “Volunteers Returning To Rebuild Tornado Damaged Homes In Century Area”

  1. Retired on October 21st, 2016 12:27 pm

    I am so happy for this story and I look forward to continued coverage and photos. What an involved determined effort this must be. Now this is the type of news story that is valuable and builds up the community.

  2. Willis on October 21st, 2016 10:53 am

    Many thanks to all that have and continue to help.

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News