PASCO COUNTY, Fla., Oct. 15, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- All Hands and Hearts (AHAH), a leading disaster relief organization, has redeployed to Pasco County, Florida, following Hurricane Milton's destructive landfall. After evacuating due to the storm, teams returned to begin new recovery measures on Thursday, October 10, where they are actively performing muck and gut work, sanitizing homes as they dry out and removing hazardous trees.
Since September 28, AHAH has been on the ground in Pasco County and Asheville, North Carolina, supporting communities facing compounded challenges from the back-to-back Hurricanes Helene and Milton. They've completed over 700 volunteer hours of mucking, gutting and debris removal and have assessed more than 60 sites for cleanup measures.
AHAH is engaging community members in disaster recovery efforts through partnerships with local organizations such as Pasco County BRAVE. By providing its expertise, AHAH is training BRAVE's volunteers in mucking and gutting to equip them with essential skills for current recovery efforts and future disaster preparedness. They aim to strengthen the community's ability to respond to and recover from future disasters, even after AHAH's departure.
"I had 42 inches of water in my house. All my family heirlooms are out, pictures, everything has been totally devasted. But, I guess you have to start over," said Jim Wagner, a resident of Pasco County. "I'm an older person and didn't have any means to get my heavy furniture out that was destroyed in the flood. [AHAH] were very helpful. They went into other homes and tore out drywall for the people. It's a tremendous help."
AHAH has launched a 12-month, $3 million long-term recovery program to support communities impacted by Hurricanes Helene and Milton. Donations will directly fund long-term recovery efforts in devastated regions of Florida and North Carolina. AHAH's presence will expand in Pasco County and further to the city of Tampa, preparing for future volunteers as recovery efforts continue.
AHAH proudly maintains its 4-star rating, the highest awarded by Charity Navigator, for the tenth consecutive year. This rating is a testament to its commitment to transparency and efficiency, assuring donors that 95% of every dollar contributed goes directly toward global relief efforts.
All Hands and Hearts is asking for urgent public support to assist in these back-to-back response efforts. Donations to the organization will help fund recovery efforts for Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton.
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SOURCE All Hands and Hearts