3 Florida United Methodist Review Online

Ads give wrong impression about Keys

By Michael Wacht

LAKELAND — Recent radio and television advertisements are claiming that everything is back to normal in Key West; people should not be afraid to visit the tourist haven. While the ads may be good for business, they’re bad for relief efforts, says Ron Patterson, executive director of Christian Disaster Response.

"The ads on television and radio say everything is okay, and that kills the relief effort,” he said. “A lot of people, six months from now, are going to be in big trouble, and there will be no one to help.”

Relief organizations are still struggling to gauge the scope of need in the Keys. While the extent of the damage caused by Hurricane Georges is still unknown, there is going to be “a need for major relocation of a lot of people,” according to Florida Conference Disaster Response Coordinator Bill Rahn.

Many of the houseboats moored in water around the Keys were destroyed. Rahn said many other people were living in “unsanctioned housing,” areas under people’s stilt houses enclosed as rental units. He said initial assessments did not include the approximately 2,500 people living under other people’s homes.

In some ways, though, Rahn says relief efforts following the September storm are going well. Power and water service has been restored, people are being fed, and the religious community is joining forces.

Three separate interfaith coalitions — one in Key West, Big Pine Key and Islamorada — have combined to form the Paradise Disaster Response Coalition, with the county commissioner serving as its president. Pastors and laity of United Methodist churches in all three communities are active in the coalition and playing key roles.

“The churches there want to help and support their community and are looking for help from people who know how to help them,” Rahn said. “That’s why the [United] Methodist church is so in demand; because of the experience.” Several United Methodist pastors now serving in the Keys were part of the Hurricane Andrew Relief effort, and the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) has been an active participant in responding to Florida’s recent disasters.

Also in high demand are volunteers. “The interfaith [coalition] wants to have volunteers come in and work with them,” Rahn said, adding that widespread destruction in the Keys has diminished the normal base of local volunteers.

The most immediate need is for people who can do assessment and casework, especially those who are bilingual. Volunteers are also needed to help with major and minor cleanup, reconstruction work, and transporting relief supplies from depots to the Keys.

“We still need canned goods and food items. We always need money,” Rahn said. “But we definitely need the volunteer base.”