Nonprofits and Donors Unite to Build Affordable, Strong Home for Hurricane Michael Survivor

PR Newswire

TALLAHASSEE, Fla., July 8, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The nonprofit Federal Alliance for Safe Homes (FLASH) today joined with Square Foot Ministry, United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), Volunteer Florida, corporate donors, local officials, and other nonprofits for a "Three-Day Blitz Build" in Port St. Joe, Florida to provide a new, #HurricaneStrong home for a Hurricane Michael survivor/homeowner.

The homeowner is a 74-year-old retired widower and lifelong resident of Port St. Joe. Hurricane Michael damaged his 460 square foot one-bedroom, one-bath, home in October 2018, and it is not repairable. The foundation shifted from the impact of the hurricane-force winds, causing the walls to separate and the floors to buckle. The roof is severely compromised and cannot be safely re-tarped.

The organizations are coming together to construct a new disaster-resistant two-bedroom home with a reinforced roof, hurricane shutters, and overall strengthened structure. The enhanced features will qualify the homeowner for annual insurance savings.

"The FLASH Partnership is deeply committed to bringing disaster-resistant, affordable housing to Florida's most vulnerable populations," said FLASH President and CEO Leslie Chapman-Henderson. "We are honored to be working with these generous organizations and volunteers and remain dedicated to the long-term recovery process of Hurricane Michael affected communities and survivors."

"Square Foot Ministry and our volunteers are excited to be partnering with so many great organizations in building this home as part of the Hurricane Michael recovery effort," said Jeff Williams, Executive Director, Square Foot Ministry. "Although we're based in the south Atlanta metro area, and much of our ministry focus is there, hurricane relief is part of our DNA. We're looking forward to joining others in being the hands and feet of Christ through this recovery effort."

"It is our hope that by this time next year, in addition to hundreds of home repairs, we will have built between 35 and 40 brand new houses from the ground up for families who lost everything in Hurricane Michael," said Associate Pastor Chris Ackerman, Hurricane Michael Recovery Director, Alabama-West Florida Conference, UMCOR. "Thanks to our new partnership with Square Foot Ministry, this house if you can believe it, will be built in just three days!"

The build is part of the FLASH Strong Homes Initiative that provides resilient construction upgrades for homes constructed by volunteer organizations like UMCOR and Square Foot Ministry serving natural disaster survivors. Strong Homes meet the IBHS FORTIFIED Home™ "Gold" standards for resilient building, and this will be the first project in Gulf County, following the construction of 15 homes in Bay County.

The effort is supported by:

America's Home Place, Brigman and Brigman Cabinets, Cates Electric Service, Copper Creek Hardware, Corbin's Heavy Equipment, Delta Faucet Company, Disaster-Smart Consulting, Federal Alliance for Safe Homes (FLASH), First United Methodist Church of Port St. Joe, Global Protection Products LLC, Gunn Heating and Air, Huber Engineered Woods, Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS), LA Union Concrete, Inc., Lowe's, Paramount Granite, Progress Lighting, Roddenberry and Associates, Seminole Truss, Sherwin Williams, Simpson Strong-Tie Co., Southern Building Supply, Square Foot Ministry, Traditions Flooring LLC, United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) – Hurricane Michael Recovery, Volunteer Florida, and Whirlpool.

About FLASH

The nonprofit Federal Alliance for Safe Homes (FLASH) is the country's leading consumer advocate for strengthening homes and safeguarding families from natural and manmade disasters. The FLASH partnership includes more than 100 innovative and diverse organizations that share a vision of making America a more disaster-resilient nation including FEMA, Florida Division of Emergency Management, Huber Engineered Woods, International Code Council, ISO - Verisk Analytics, Lowe's, National Weather Service, Portland Cement Association, Simpson Strong-Tie, State Farm, and USAA. In 2008, FLASH, and Disney opened the interactive weather experience StormStruck: A Tale of Two Homes, in Lake Buena Vista, FL. Learn more about FLASH and access free consumer resources by visiting www.flash.org, calling toll-free (877) 221- SAFE (7233), following @federalalliance on Twitter, and Facebook.com/federalalliance.