[October 2, 2024] Hurricane Helene was a deadly Category 4 storm. It caused widespread damage throughout the southern United States. Episcopal Relief & Development supports survivors by working with local church leaders.
In partnership with the Episcopal Diocese of Florida, Episcopal Relief & Development is providing gift cards to impacted families in the Apalachee and Santa Fe regions of Florida.
With the Episcopal Diocese of Southwest Florida, Episcopal Relief & Development is providing gift cards and household items to families in places including St. Petersburg, Tampa, Bradenton, Sarasota and Venice.
Farther north, in partnership with the Episcopal Diocese of Georgia, Episcopal Relief & Development is providing gift cards and distributing water, food, clothing and fuel to families in need in the cities of Valdosta, Vidalia, Louisville, Augusta and the surrounding areas.
These partnerships help during the critical first week after impact. This is before additional support becomes available. Also, it is before longer term needs can begin, such as:
Debris removal
Temporary housing
Mental health support
Other services
Additional support in hurricane recovery
“Our emergency responses are great examples of doing what we can to help people where they currently are,” said Katie Mears, Senior Technical Specialist, Disaster Risk and Resilience, Episcopal Relief & Development. “As the stages of this disaster progress, people’s needs will change and we are prepared to accommodate them.”
Episcopal Relief & Development also continues to support church and community leaders throughout North Carolina, Tennessee and South Carolina. This is as they assess the impact and determine immediate needs.
Hurricane Helene created life-threatening conditions throughout the South. At least 160 people were killed. Mudslides, tornadoes, and flooding destroyed homes and other structures. In some areas, there are significant communication issues due to a lack of cell service and power outages. Downed trees and other road blockages prevent supplies from reaching the communities in need. Additional health concerns include a scarcity of potable water.
Please pray for the people affected by Hurricane Helene. Consider donating to the Hurricane Relief Fund to support their recovery.
Episcopal Relief & Development
For over 80 years, Episcopal Relief & Development has worked with an extensive network of faith-based and secular partners. They advance lasting change in communities affected by injustice, poverty, disaster and climate change.
Inspired by faith. Grounded in expertise. They reach over three million people annually. Episcopal Relief & Development achieves impact through an approach that is:
Purpose-driven
Compassionate
Respectful of the dignity of all human beings
Episcopal Relief & Development collaborates and shares learning with local faith-leaders and organizations with deep community ties. They strengthen each partner’s capacity to do the following:
Operate within highly challenging contexts
Provide effective responses and care amidst disaster, crisis and growing instability
Together, we’re making a lasting change in four interconnected global priority areas:
Early Childhood Development: equipping parents and caregivers so young children can reach their full potential.
Women and Girls: forging partnerships to reduce gender-based violence and advance equality.
Climate Resilience: investing in communities to strengthen resilience to climate change.
Disaster Response: providing emergency relief and long-term support in disasters.
Church of the Redeemer
Church of the Redeemer: Worshiping God, living in community, and reaching out to the world around us. We are an Episcopal Church serving north King County and south Snohomish County, Washington. As you travel your road, go with friends walking the way of Jesus at Redeemer.
Church of the Redeemer is at 6220 Northeast 181st Street in Kenmore, Washington. The campus is a short distance north of Bothell Way, near the Burke-Gilman Trail. The entrance looks like a gravel driveway. The campus is larger on the inside than it is on the outside. And we managed to hide a large building on the side of a hill that is not easily seen from the street.
[Episcopal News Service] Dioceses and congregations across The Episcopal Church have been active in recent weeks raising money to support those impacted by hurricanes in Florida and the Caribbean. Two congregations in the Diocese of Michigan have gone the extra mile – and then some.
From Michigan with love
The Rev. Tom Ferguson, a curate at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in the Detroit suburb of Wyandotte, has a condominium in Fort Myers, Florida, and was planning a trip there to repair damage from Hurricane Ian, which made landfall near Fort Myers on September 28, 2022. Before leaving home, Ferguson reached out to St. Hilary’s Episcopal Church in Fort Myers to see what supplies the congregation might need to support communities there devastated by the storm.
Leaders at St. Hilary’s responded by sending Ferguson a list, including baby supplies, canned goods, paper products, batteries, tarps, socks and underwear, hygiene products and first-aid kids. St. Stephen’s and the nearby congregation of St. Michael’s and All Angels Episcopal Church in Lincoln Park, Michigan, shared the list with their parishioners, and the overwhelming response was enough to fill the back of Ferguson’s Ford Explorer with needed items, including a generator and over $300 in cash donations.
Ferguson and his daughter left Michigan on October 9 and drove to Fort Myers, arriving on October 11, and delivered the donations to St. Hilary’s. Many of the homes in the church’s Fort Myers neighborhood were flooded by Ian and will require extensive repairs, and damaged household items and debris remained on roadsides waiting to be hauled away.
“Who knows when the debris will be removed,” Ferguson said in an online diocesan article. “There are mountains of debris lining each side of the streets. The homes will require significant repair and will take a very long time.”
St. Hilary’s continues to work with the local Heights Community Center to receive food, water and other supplies and money and get them to people in need.
Since Fiona made landfall in Puerto Rico on September 18, Episcopalians there have brought relief and assistance to neighbors in need through church-affiliated programs. The diocese set up support centers in Mayagüez, Ponce, Trujillo Alto, and Maricao where church volunteers distributed food and water.
Episcopal Relief & Development also has supported efforts in Puerto Rico, as well as in Episcopal and Anglican dioceses in Cuba, the Dominican Republic, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Bahamas, and Turks and Caicos.
One of the Southwest Florida churches that is rebuilding after sustaining damaged from Ian is Trinity-by-the-Cove Episcopal Church. At the same time, the congregation is awarding $75,000 in grants on behalf of the diocese to support the work of 13 partner charities serving hurricane victims, according to the diocese.
Another congregation, All Souls Episcopal Church in Fort Myers, offered space in its parking lot for World Central Kitchen to serve up to 1,000 hot meals a day to residents in need.
The Diocese of the Central Gulf Coast, no stranger to tropical storms in southern Alabama and the Florida Panhandle, also has asked Episcopalians to give to Episcopal Relief & Development after Fiona and Ian. Other dioceses have made similar appeals, from the Diocese of Texas to the Diocese of New Hampshire.
And in the Jacksonville-based Diocese of Florida, an October 11 email message called on Episcopalians to support “our brothers and sisters in Puerto Rico and Southwest Florida” with donations to the dioceses or to Episcopal Relief & Development.
“We thank you for your support and welcome your prayers as we work to help both dioceses and their communities recover,” the Florida diocese’s message said.
—David Paulsen is an editor and reporter for Episcopal News Service. He can be reached at dpaulsen@episcopalchurch.org.
Episcopal Relief & Development
For over 80 years, Episcopal Relief & Development has been working together with supporters and partners for lasting change around the world. Each year the organization facilitates healthier, more fulfilling lives for more than 3 million people struggling with hunger, poverty, disaster and disease. Inspired by Jesus’ words in Matthew 25, Episcopal Relief & Development leverages the expertise and resources of Anglican and other partners to deliver measurable and sustainable change in three signature program areas: Women, Children and Climate.
Church of the Redeemer
Church of the Redeemer: Worshiping God, living in community, and reaching out to the world around us. We are an Episcopal Church serving north King County and south Snohomish County, Washington. As you travel your road, go with friends walking the way of Jesus at Redeemer.
Church of the Redeemer is at 6220 Northeast 181st Street in Kenmore, Washington. The campus is a short distance north of Bothell Way, near the Burke-Gilman Trail. The entrance looks like a gravel driveway. The campus is larger on the inside than it is on the outside. And we managed to hide a large building on the side of a hill that is not easily seen from the street.
[Episcopal News Service] While Episcopalians in South Carolina prepared for the arrival of Hurricane Ian, the Diocese of Southwest Florida was still reeling from the storm’s impact, with the full extent of destruction still unknown. Some parishes haven’t been able to get to their buildings yet, and some are still trying to make sure their parishioners are safe.
Diocese of Southwest Florida
Although Ian impacted a wide swath of Florida, extreme damage was heavily concentrated in the Fort Myers-Cape Coral area. Ian came ashore there on the afternoon of September 28, 2022, as a Category 4 hurricane with winds of about 150 mph and a storm surge that left parts of the area under several feet of water. On September 30, state officials said they had identified about three dozen storm-related deaths.
“At this point, communication remains difficult with those in the hardest hit areas,” Bishop Coadjutor Douglas Scharf told Episcopal News Service. Scharf, who was consecrated on September 24, said the diocesan office was still without power and internet, but diocesan leaders had been able to reach most clergy and parish leaders in the affected areas.
“Several of our churches have sustained significant damage, but we have not yet been able to gain access to those churches in the hardest hit areas. We have received messages of support and encouragement from across the church, which we deeply appreciate.”
Sanibel Island
One of the hardest-hit spots was Sanibel Island, which “got hit with biblical storm surge,” Gov. Ron DeSantis said. Ian washed away part of the causeway linking Sanibel Island to the mainland, rendering it inaccessible by road. Residents who did not evacuate are being rescued by helicopter, including some parishioners of St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church.
The Rev. Bill Van Oss, rector, and his wife, Parish Communications Director Sue Van Oss, evacuated to a condo in Fort Myers. Sue Van Oss told ENS she has been trying to keep track of who has been rescued and who is still on the island. She said she was told there were two deaths on the island, but didn’t know the victims’ identities.
“They’re headed over there with Chinook [helicopters] that can load 20 people. And as soon as they find people, they wade through about waist-deep water. It is absolute destruction there. There were homes on fire from the gas. They went through hell, but – praise God – they’re getting them off as much as they can.”
The Van Osses picked up two parishioners who were airlifted to a field east of Fort Myers on the evening of Sept. 29, she said, and two more parishioners got off the next helicopter and were met by family.
“They literally went through hell. They’re shell-shocked. Some of them don’t even know where they’re going. They got a text through to us, saying, ‘We’re alive, we’re on a helicopter, we don’t even know where we’re landing.’”
But some parishioners were still waiting to be rescued on Sept. 30 – including some in their 90s, she said.
“We got one text at 5 this morning from four parishioners that are in a home together, that said they’re okay,” she said, but the helicopter rescues are going slowly because there aren’t many dry spots where they can land.
Another couple in their 90s managed to get one text message through to Van Oss, who contacted the sheriff’s department with their address, but she hasn’t heard from them since.
Van Oss said that unlike many buildings on the island, the church itself seems relatively intact.
“The church is standing – we got an aerial picture. There’s water all around it and it looks like some of the roof of the thrift shop came off. But the parish office is brand new. It was just completed last year, so that was hurricane-proof. Hopefully. We don’t know.”
Fort Myers Beach
In Fort Myers Beach, another Episcopal parish had even less information about the fate of their church. Aerial photos show a scene of total devastation in the barrier island town.
“Fort Myers Beach and Sanibel Island look like they will need to be 80% rebuilt,” one Florida emergency management official estimated.
With little cell service and roads impassable, there was no way of knowing what state St. Raphael’s Episcopal Church was in, said the Rev. Jean Hite, rector, who had evacuated south to Naples. But more importantly, she said, the parishioners are safe, including some she had been trying to reach the day before.
“The ones that we were really concerned about, we’ve located them. We don’t have direct contact with them, but indirectly, we know that our parishioners are OK,” Hite told ENS.
In Fort Myers, Epiphany Episcopal Church was seriously damaged. Photos shared by the Rev. Edward Gibbons, rector, showed ceiling tiles and insulation strewn about parish offices, blown-out windows in Sunday school rooms, a large tree uprooted in the parking lot and a bell lying on the ground, cracked.
“This is a difficult time but we will get through this together one day at a time,” Gibbons wrote.
Diocesan operations
With the area facing a long road to recovery, the diocesan convention scheduled for October 14-15 in Punta Gorda has been canceled and will be rescheduled later.
“The last 36 hours have been harrowing for many of us in the Diocese of Southwest Florida,” Diocesan Bishop Dabney Smith wrote in an email on September 29. “Many of our churches and huge numbers of our parishioners are now faced with the daunting task of recovering from the effects of Hurricane Ian. Such recovery efforts will take much time and energy.”
“This is a time when we are called to be the Body of Christ and to care deeply for one another,” Scharf said. “As the Apostle Paul reminds us, ‘If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member rejoices, all rejoice together.’”
Diocese of South Carolina
Meanwhile, as Ian tracked north, in the Diocese of South Carolina, St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church postponed a bicentennial celebration that had been scheduled for September 30 because of the approaching storm. “The safety of our guests and vendors is our priority,” the church said. “We pray for the communities already impacted by Hurricane Ian.
Diocese of Cuba
Before hitting Florida and South Carolina, Hurricane Ian knocked out power across Cuba when it made landfall there on September 27. Efforts to restore electricity hadn’t progressed far beyond the capital Havana by September 29, according to Reuters.
“The Episcopal Church in Cuba has mobilized its local disaster committees who are assessing the damage, and potential responses, in their communities,” Kellie McDaniel, program officer for Episcopal Relief & Development said in a news release. “We pray for the people of Cuba who are living through several recent disasters.”
Diocese of Puerto Rico
Ian was the second hurricane in a week to hit the Caribbean, after Hurricane Fiona. Episcopalians in Puerto Rico have been active since Fiona in bringing relief and assistance to neighbors in need through church-affiliated programs. The diocese set up support centers in Mayagüez, Ponce, Trujillo Alto, and Maricao, where church volunteers are distributing food and water.
Servicios Sociales Episcopales, an Episcopal social services nonprofit, also has been taking food and water to hard-hit neighborhoods. “We want to let these communities know that they are not alone and that we are committed to bringing a message of hope to the people who need it most,” the organization said in a recent Facebook post about hot food distribution in Toa Baja.
The eye of Hurricane Fiona swiped Puerto Rico on September 18, briefly making landfall on the island’s southwest coast and dropping the most rain across the southern half of the island. The next day, the storm made landfall on the east coast of the Dominican Republic before turning northward.
Episcopal Relief & Development has been in contact with Episcopal and Anglican diocesan leaders in Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Bahamas, and Turks and Caicos to assist them as they respond to their communities.
After initial power outages from Fiona, full electric service was restored September 24 at the San Lucas Episcopal Medical Center, which continues to receive patients. Full service also was restored to the San Lucas Medical Tower by September 29, according to updates on Facebook.
Power, however, remained out for about 233,000 homes in Puerto Rico as of September 30, and lack of clean water also has been a widespread problem since Fiona.
President Joe Biden, in discussing the federal response to Hurricane Ian, pledged not to forget the needs of Puerto Ricans struggling to bounce back after Hurricane Fiona, which hit the U.S. territory five years after it was devastated by Hurricane Maria.
“I want to be clear: To the people of Puerto Rico, we’re not going away,” Biden said. “I am committed to you and the recovery of the island. We’ll stand by you for however long it takes to get it done.”
—Egan Millard is an assistant editor and reporter for Episcopal News Service. He can be reached at emillard@episcopalchurch.org. David Paulsen is an editor and reporter for Episcopal News Service. He can be reached at dpaulsen@episcopalchurch.org.
Episcopal Relief & Development
For over 80 years, Episcopal Relief & Development has been working together with supporters and partners for lasting change around the world. Each year the organization facilitates healthier, more fulfilling lives for more than 3 million people struggling with hunger, poverty, disaster and disease. Inspired by Jesus’ words in Matthew 25, Episcopal Relief & Development leverages the expertise and resources of Anglican and other partners to deliver measurable and sustainable change in three signature program areas: Women, Children and Climate.
Church of the Redeemer
Church of the Redeemer: Worshiping God, living in community, and reaching out to the world around us. We are an Episcopal Church serving north King County and south Snohomish County, Washington. As you travel your road, go with friends walking the way of Jesus at Redeemer.
Church of the Redeemer is at 6220 Northeast 181st Street in Kenmore, Washington. The campus is a short distance north of Bothell Way, near the Burke-Gilman Trail. The entrance looks like a gravel driveway. The campus is larger on the inside than it is on the outside. And we managed to hide a large building on the side of a hill that is not easily seen from the street.
[Episcopal News Service] Hurricane Ian’s path of destruction across Florida has left many Episcopalians in the dark, both literally and figuratively, as they try to figure out how their neighbors and buildings have fared. Many evacuated and are sheltering away from their home communities, without reliable power or phone service, and cannot return yet.
Ian was so destructive that the extent of the damage it caused may not be known for days; there may have been “substantial loss of life,” President Joe Biden said on September 29, 2022. Thousands of people were still waiting to be rescued, local officials said in the morning, and more than 2.6 million customers remained without power.
The path of Hurricane Ian
Ian came ashore near Fort Myers on the afternoon of September 28 as a Category 4 hurricane with winds of about 150 mph, as storm surge left parts of the area under several feet of water. As the storm moved inland, 10 to 20 inches of rain caused record flooding on Central Florida’s lakes and rivers; floodwaters could take weeks to recede in some cases. The day before, Ian hit Cuba as a Category 3 storm, knocking out power to the entire island and killing at least two people. Episcopal Relief & Development is working with the Episcopal Church in Cuba to assess damage and organize relief efforts.
Although Ian weakened to tropical storm status by the time it moved east over the Atlantic Ocean, it is predicted to regain strength and strike the Charleston, South Carolina, area as a Category 1 hurricane on September 30.
Diocese of Southwest Florida
The Diocese of Southwest Florida, covering most of the state’s Gulf Coast, took the most direct hit. Lindsey Nickel, the diocese’s director of communications, said Bishop Dabney Smith and newly consecrated Bishop Coadjutor Douglas Scharf were trying to contact clergy and congregations to assess the situation. The diocesan convention scheduled for October 14-15, 2022, in Punta Gorda has been canceled and will be rescheduled later.
“The last 36 hours have been harrowing for many of us in the Diocese of Southwest Florida,” Smith wrote in an email. “Many of our churches and huge numbers of our parishioners are now faced with the daunting task of recovering from the effects of Hurricane Ian. Such recovery efforts will take much time and energy.”
Nickel said the diocese is already working closely with Episcopal Relief & Development, but specific needs are still being identified.
“At this point, the most beneficial form of assistance is financial, as we do not have the means to effectively coordinate or distribute supplies. Financial assistance will enable us to respond quickly and adaptively to the specific needs on the ground,” she said.
Sanibel Island
Sanibel Island, near Fort Myers, was cut off from the mainland when part of its bridge washed away, leaving St. Michael and All Angels Church inaccessible. The Rev. Bill Van Oss, rector, and his wife Sue, the church’s communications director, evacuated to Fort Myers, but they know some of their parishioners didn’t.
“We have no word from the island,” Sue Van Oss told ENS. “It is completely cut off. … We have no cell service or power. We walk to the hospital to get a few minutes of Wi-Fi. Our immediate need is to make sure the first responders get to the people that were left on the island via boat or helicopter.”
Boca Grande
Boca Grande, on another barrier island near Fort Myers, also sustained major damage. The Rev. Michelle Robertshaw, rector of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church there, said residents and business owners who evacuated are not allowed back on the island for 48 hours while emergency crews are assessing damage, but some who stayed behind said the church is “intact.”
“But,” she told ENS, “I have not been able to get on island to assess what ‘intact’ means – is there water damage? Is the roof sheared off?”
Fort Meyers Beach
St. Raphael’s Episcopal Church in Fort Myers Beach was also in one of the worst-hit areas. Videos have shown water up to the roofs of homes there; Lee County Manager Roger Desjarlais said an aerial survey showed that some buildings in town “are simply missing.” The Rev. Jean Hite, rector of St. Raphael’s, told ENS she was still trying to get basic information from her evacuation site.
“We’re just getting news on the radio at this point, but the beach itself is pretty much devastated,” Hite said. “I understand that pretty much everything around the church was flooded. We have a few parishioners that I haven’t been able to get in contact with that I know are in the area, so I’m trying to do that by whatever means possible. Other than that, I can’t give you any details. It just looks devastating.”
—Egan Millard is an assistant editor and reporter for Episcopal News Service. He can be reached at emillard@episcopalchurch.org.
Support for those Affected by Hurricane Ian
Episcopal Relief & Development is in close contact with Episcopal dioceses in the southern United States and Cuba in response to Hurricane Ian, which made landfall in Cuba on Tuesday, September 27, and in southwest Florida on Wednesday, September 28.
Cuba
In Cuba, the category 3 storm killed two people and knocked out power to the entire country.
“The Episcopal Church in Cuba has mobilized its local disaster committees who are assessing the damage, and potential responses, in their communities,” said Kellie McDaniel, Program Officer, Episcopal Relief & Development. “We pray for the people of Cuba who are living through several recent disasters.”
Southern United States
Hurricane Ian intensified to a category 4 storm before making landfall again on Wednesday near Port Charlotte, Florida with winds of 150 mph. As of Thursday morning, more than two million people were without power and a storm surge of up to 12 feet caused severe flooding. The storm also caused flooding in the Florida Keys after heavy rain on Tuesday night. It is expected to reach Georgia and South Carolina by Friday.
Dioceses in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina have been preparing this week by checking in with communities in the storm’s path, testing emergency communications systems and coordinating with area agencies.
“Our partners in the southern United States have deep roots in the community and are using their relationships to assess the needs caused by Hurricane Ian,” said Lura Steele, Program Officer, US Disaster Program, Episcopal Relief & Development. “We stand ready to assist in the coming days and weeks.”
Please pray for the people impacted by the storm. Donations to the Hurricane Relief Fund will support Episcopal Relief & Development and its partners as they respond.
Episcopal Relief & Development
For over 80 years, Episcopal Relief & Development has been working together with supporters and partners for lasting change around the world. Each year the organization facilitates healthier, more fulfilling lives for more than 3 million people struggling with hunger, poverty, disaster and disease. Inspired by Jesus’ words in Matthew 25, Episcopal Relief & Development leverages the expertise and resources of Anglican and other partners to deliver measurable and sustainable change in three signature program areas: Women, Children and Climate.
Church of the Redeemer
Church of the Redeemer: Worshiping God, living in community, and reaching out to the world around us. We are an Episcopal Church serving north King County and south Snohomish County, Washington. As you travel your road, go with friends walking the way of Jesus at Redeemer.
Church of the Redeemer is at 6220 Northeast 181st Street in Kenmore, Washington. The campus is a short distance north of Bothell Way, near the Burke-Gilman Trail. The entrance looks like a gravel driveway. The campus is larger on the inside than it is on the outside. And we managed to hide a large building on the side of a hill that is not easily seen from the street.
“Just five years after Hurricane Maria caused such devastation in Puerto Rico, the people there are now faced with Hurricane Fiona. I ask Episcopalians and other people of goodwill to pray for Bishop Rafael Morales and the clergy and laity of the Episcopal Diocese of Puerto Rico as they stand with their fellow Puerto Ricans,” Presiding Bishop Michael Curry said. “Please pray also for Bishop Moises Quesada and the clergy and laity of the Episcopal Diocese of the Dominican Republic, and for all those impacted by this horrendous storm. And I thank God for Episcopal Relief & Development and their efficient response to this crisis.”
The Diocese of Puerto Rico canceled Sunday services across the island and in a September 18 Facebook post, Puerto Rico Bishop Rafael Morales Maldonado identified “flooding, landslides, blocked roads” across the island, “but even more, hope and resilience.” Morales said he expected on September 19 to have a better sense of the local impacts as the diocese looks to offer assistance. “Stay safe,” he said.
The eye of Hurricane Fiona swiped Puerto Rico on September 18, briefly making landfall midafternoon on the island’s southwest coast with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph, The rain from the storm has been heaviest across the southern half of Puerto Rico.
Morales told ENS later that he met that afternoon with his diocese’s Emergency Affairs Committee. The diocese’s is developing its response, which will include four aid centers, in the municipalities of Trujillo Alto, Mayagüez, Ponce and Maricao. Starting September 21, the diocese will offer food, water, hygiene products and spiritual and psychological support to those affected by Hurricane Fiona.
Neighboring Dominican Republic
In the Dominican Republic, The Episcopal Church has a significant presence in the east, where Fiona made landfall, Bishop Moises Quezada told ENS.
“We are making preparations to help the victims in these places and other surrounding communities that are being devastated by the passage of this natural disaster,” he said. “The clergy and the parishioners have remained in chains of prayer and in constant communication.”
Help from Orlando, Florida
Episcopalians in Orlando, Florida, where many Puerto Ricans moved after Hurricane Maria, have been following developments on the island closely as they prepare to support recovery efforts and welcome any who may be displaced by the most recent storm. In that work, the Episcopal Churches of Christ the King and Jesus de Nazaret have helped coordinate communications between government officials and relief agencies in Florida.
The Rev. José Rodriguez, the vicar of Jesus de Nazaret and co-rector of Christ the King, led a Zoom meeting on September 19 for people in Orlando interested in joining outreach efforts. Rodriguez noted how the experience of receiving individuals and families displaced by Hurricane Maria in 2017 may provide lessons for receiving those displaced by Hurricane Fiona.
“We’ve asked our federal legislators that if FEMA is bringing families to Orlando, to work really hard at placing them in places where they will succeed,” Rodriguez said, explaining communities should be chosen that have adequate housing, transportation, employment and safe places for children to play.
“A hurricane in Puerto Rico causes displacement. We don’t know if there is going to be a big wave of displacement or if it’s going to be small,” he said, but residents should be ready to show that “central Florida is welcoming to all people.”
Tony Ortiz, a member of the Orlando City Council, also joined the Zoom meeting and echoed Rodriguez’s words. “We’re ready,” Ortiz said, though it remains unclear how many people from Puerto Rico will move to Orlando after Hurricane Fiona. “We’re waiting with open arms,” he said. “I know when the time comes, everybody’s going to be joining in.”
Action afterwards in Puerto Rico
Rainfall continued to be the biggest worry in the afternoon on September 19, the Rev. Bryan Vélez, who serves as vicar of Church of the Good Shephard in Fajardo and as a chaplain and 1st lieutenant in the 156th Wing of the Puerto Rico Air National Guard, told ENS.
Vélez’s parishioners were safe, he said, and that he was awaiting instructions from the National Guard on its community response.
The Diocese of Puerto Rico – with about 5,000 Episcopalians and 52 congregations across the island – also can look back on the experience of Hurricane Maria for lessons in how it now responds to Fiona. On September 20, 2017, Maria made landfall as a Category 4 storm on the island’s southwest side, bringing 155 mph winds, massive rains and flooding across the island.
Puerto Rico’s 3.3 million residents are U.S. citizens. About 3,000 deaths were blamed on Maria. After the hurricane, diocesan staff sprang into action and divided the island into four quadrants, assessing damage and distributing food, water and other emergency supplies. With the backing of Episcopal Relief & Development, Episcopal churches in Puerto Rico became points of distribution for emergency supplies, even as 66 of the diocese’s 87 buildings also had sustained damage in the storm.
“Puerto Rico has an excellent disaster response committee and system that is in place as of Hurricanes Irma and Maria. The church will rally in support of those in need in their communities. My hope is that the wider church will support those diocesan efforts,” the Rev. Glenda McQueen, The Episcopal Church’s partnership officer for Latin American and the Caribbean, told Episcopal News Service. “It is important for Episcopalians and all those living on the island and the church in Puerto Rico to know that they can count on Episcopalians for support.”
Episcopal Relief and Development
It is too early to say what the needs will be from Hurricane Fiona, but Episcopal Relief & Development is in contact with Episcopal and Anglican diocesan leaders in Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos.
“Our partners are preparing for and assessing the needs in their communities while dealing with continued rain and flooding created by Hurricane Fiona,” said Angel Venegas, Episcopal Relief & Development’s U.S. disaster program officer. “We stand ready to assist in the coming days and weeks.”
– David Paulsen is an editor and reporter for Episcopal News Service. He can be reached at dpaulsen@episcopalchurch.org.
Episcopal Relief & Development
For more than 80 years, Episcopal Relief & Development has been working together with supporters and partners for lasting change around the world. Each year the organization facilitates healthier, more fulfilling lives for close to 3 million people struggling with hunger, poverty, disaster and disease. Inspired by Jesus’ words in Matthew 25, Episcopal Relief & Development leverages the expertise and resources of Anglican and other partners to deliver measurable and sustainable change in three signature program areas: Women, Children and Climate.
Hurricane Relief Fund
Episcopal Relief & Development is in contact with Episcopal and Anglican partners in Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, the US Virgin Islands, the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos in response to Hurricane Fiona.
The storm made landfall in Puerto Rico on Sunday as a Category 1 hurricane. Almost 30-inches of rain caused flooding that killed at least one person and left over 1000 people in need of rescue in addition to leaving the entire island without power. In the Dominican Republic, 90 mph wind and rain caused mudslides, shuttered resorts and damaged highways.
The storm has now strengthened into a Category 3 storm and is now approaching Turks and Caicos and the Bahamas.
“Our partners are preparing for and assessing the needs in their communities while dealing with continued rain and flooding created by Hurricane Fiona,” said Angel Venegas, Program Officer, US Disaster Program, Episcopal Relief & Development. “We stand ready to assist in the coming days and weeks.”
Please pray for the people impacted by the storms. Donations to the Hurricane Relief Fund will support Episcopal Relief & Development and its partners as they respond.
Church of the Redeemer
Church of the Redeemer: Worshiping God, living in community, and reaching out to the world around us. We are an Episcopal Church serving north King County and south Snohomish County, Washington. As you travel your road, go with friends walking the way of Jesus at Redeemer.
Church of the Redeemer is at 6220 Northeast 181st Street in Kenmore, Washington. The campus is a short distance north of Bothell Way, near the Burke-Gilman Trail. The entrance looks like a gravel driveway. The campus is larger on the inside than it is on the outside. And we managed to hide a large building on the side of a hill that is not easily seen from the street.
Episcopal Relief & Development is mobilizing with Anglican agencies and other partners in order to provide humanitarian assistance to people fleeing the violence in Ukraine.
Working through the Action by Churches Together Alliance (ACT Alliance), Episcopal Relief & Development will provide cash, blankets, hygiene supplies and other needed assistance.
“Ecumenical and orthodox faith networks are on the ground in the border areas of Poland and Hungary,” said Abagail Nelson, Executive Vice President, Episcopal Relief & Development. “We will continue to coordinate with these networks, in order to meet the needs of people who have been displaced.”
Please pray for all those affected. Donations to Episcopal Relief & Development’s International Disaster Response Fund will provide humanitarian assistance for the crisis in Ukraine.
Join Episcopal Relief & Develpment’s response to this ongoing crisis
Your gift will help provide cash, blankets, hygiene supplies and other needed assistance to refugees from Ukraine, as well as others affected by disasters, emergencies and humanitarian crises around the world.
Episcopal Relief & Development
For over 80 years, Episcopal Relief & Development has been working together with supporters and partners for lasting change around the world. Each year the organization facilitates healthier, more fulfilling lives for close to 3 million people struggling with hunger, poverty, disaster and disease. Inspired by Jesus’ words in Matthew 25, Episcopal Relief & Development leverages the expertise and resources of Anglican and other partners to deliver measurable and sustainable change in three signature program areas: Women, Children and Climate.
Church of the Redeemer
Welcome to Church of the Redeemer: Worshiping God, living in community, and reaching out to the world. We are an Episcopal Church serving north King County and south Snohomish County, Washington. As you travel your road, go with friends walking the way of Jesus at Redeemer.
Church of the Redeemer is at 6220 Northeast 181st Street in Kenmore, Washington. We are a short distance north of Bothell Way, near the Burke-Gilman Trail. The entrance looks like a gravel driveway. The campus is larger on the inside than it is on the outside. And we managed to hide a large building on the side of a hill that is not easily seen from the street.
Episcopal Relief & Development is partnering with Food For The Poor to provide humanitarian assistance to communities in Haiti that were impacted by the recent 7.2 magnitude earthquake.
With the support of Episcopal Relief & Development and other partners, Food For The Poor has designed a multi-step response that will support marginalized communities both in the short term and over time.
The August 14, 2021, earthquake and Tropical Storm Grace destroyed nearly 61,000 homes and damaged another 76,000 in the Grand’Anse, Nippes, and Sud departments. In response, Episcopal Relief & Development, through Food For The Poor, is sending tents that will provide shelter. The Episcopal Diocese of Haiti will distribute the tents to vulnerable groups, such as families led by women or those with young children in hard-to-reach communities.
Food For The Poor is also shipping parcels of food for immediate distribution. Over the long term, the organization is planning to build schools and houses.
“For many Haitians, the recent earthquake was a vivid reminder of the trauma of the 2010 earthquake,” said Nagulan Nesiah, Senior Program Officer, Disaster Response and Risk Reduction, Episcopal Relief & Development. “Through this partnership with Food for the Poor, we are leveraging our extensive network of churches and community partners to meet the basic need for shelter, so vulnerable Haitians can begin to recover in dignity.”
Episcopal Relief & Development has a long history of disaster response and community-building in Haiti. Since the recent earthquake, the agency has been working directly with the Episcopal Diocese of Haiti, Church World Service and other local partners to provide emergency assistance such as medical care, food, clean water and hygiene kits. Donations to Episcopal Relief & Development’s Haiti Fund will support continued response efforts.
Episcopal Relief & Development
Go with the people. Live with them. Learn from them. Love them. Start with what they have. Build on what they know. But with the best leaders, when the work is done, the task accomplished, the people will say, “We have done this ourselves.”
— Lao Tsu, Chinese Philosopher, 700 B.C.
Episcopal Relief & Development works in collaboration with church partners and other local organizations to facilitate healthier, more fulfilling lives in communities that are struggling with hunger, poverty, disaster and disease. We also work around the world and here in the US responding to and rebuilding after disasters.
Our programs impact the lives of over 3 million people annually. We respect the dignity of all people and view them as our neighbors, working alongside participants regardless of religious affiliation or background.
Lord, when was it that
We saw you hungry and gave you food?
We saw you thirsty and gave you something to drink?
We saw you a stranger and welcomed you?
We saw you sick and took care of you?
We saw you in prison and visited you?
‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’
—Matthew 25: 37-40 (NRSV)
Church of the Redeemer
Church of the Redeemer: Worshiping God, living in community, and reaching out to the world around us. We are an Episcopal Church serving north King County and south Snohomish County, Washington. As you travel your road, go with friends walking the way of Jesus at Redeemer.
Church of the Redeemer is at 6220 Northeast 181st Street in Kenmore, Washington. The campus is a short distance north of Bothell Way, near the Burke-Gilman Trail. The entrance looks like a gravel driveway. The campus is larger on the inside than it is on the outside. And we managed to hide a large building on the side of a hill that is not easily seen from the street.
Episcopal Relief & Development continues to support regional partners in response to Hurricane Ida. Much of Louisiana and parts of Mississippi continue to face power outages, lack of water, and extensive property damage to homes and businesses.
Hurricane Ida left more than a million people in the Gulf Coast region without power. While utility teams are working to restore power, water, and sewer, it may be several weeks before fully restoring utilities. Many residents have evacuated their homes, even if the home was not damaged, as it is not safe to remain without power or water.
Thousands of homes were damaged or destroyed. Experts estimate the total damage could exceed $50 billion, according to AP News. This makes Ida one of the costliest hurricanes in US history.
The remnants of Ida caused flooding and damage September 1, 2021, in the District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Rhode Island as it moved north.
Continued contact and support
Episcopal Relief & Development’s US Disaster Program team is continuing daily coordination calls with the Episcopal dioceses of Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, and Western Louisiana in response to Hurricane Ida. Also, the team is in contact with other partners as they assess the damage from the storm.
“Right now, our focus is on identifying and meeting immediate needs,” said Katie Mears, Senior Director, US Disaster Program, Episcopal Relief & Development. “We are grateful for the response from the community of people wanting to help and we ask that you not donate in-kind items because our partners don’t have the capacity to sort and store them.”
Learn more about how to help after a disaster. Please continue to pray for the people who have evacuated, those who are still in their homes, first responders, and everyone who has been impacted by Hurricane Ida from Louisiana to Rhode Island. Please consider a donation to Episcopal Relief & Development’s Hurricane Relief Fund to support their continued response to Hurricane Ida and other storms.
Episcopal Relief & Development
For over 80 years, Episcopal Relief & Development has been working together with supporters and partners for lasting change around the world. Each year the organization facilitates healthier, more fulfilling lives for more than 3 million people struggling with hunger, poverty, disaster, and disease. Inspired by Jesus’ words in Matthew 25, Episcopal Relief & Development leverages the expertise and resources of Anglican and other partners to deliver measurable and sustainable change in three signature program areas: Women, Children, and Climate.
Church of the Redeemer
Welcome to Church of the Redeemer: Worshiping God, living in community, and reaching out to the world. We are an Episcopal Church serving north King County and south Snohomish County, Washington. As you travel your road, go with friends walking the way of Jesus at Redeemer.
Church of the Redeemer is at 6220 Northeast 181st Street in Kenmore, Washington. We are a short distance north of Bothell Way, near the Burke-Gilman Trail. The entrance looks like a gravel driveway. The campus is larger on the inside than it is on the outside. And we managed to hide a large building on the side of a hill that is not easily seen from the street.
Episcopal Relief & Development is supporting the Episcopal Diocese of Haiti and other partners in response to the devastating earthquake that struck on Saturday, August 14, 2021. The organization’s first grant is through the diocese and will support 400 vulnerable households in 21 isolated communities.
The overall need
A 7.2 magnitude earthquake hit Haiti’s southern peninsula and, as of Wednesday, August 18, it had caused nearly 2,000 deaths and injured more than 9,000 people, according to the United Nations. The UN also said the quake impacted more than 1.2 million people. The quake destroyed buildings and infrastructure, including nearly 61,000 homes, and damaged more than 76,000 more.
Thousands of families are in need of humanitarian assistance. The Haitian Civil Protection General Directorate says 137,000 families have been affected in the Sud, Grand’Anse and Nippes departments. About 500,000 people – 40 percent of the total population in the affected departments – are in need of emergency humanitarian assistance. Rescue efforts have been hampered by heavy rains and winds from Tropical Storm Grace and the full extent of the damage has yet to be determined.
Immediate response by Episcopal Relief & Development
The Diocese of Haiti, in collaboration with its congregations on the southern peninsula, quickly assessed the most urgent needs of vulnerable groups such as pregnant women, mothers with young children, the elderly, and people whose homes were damaged or destroyed. The diocese selected 400 families in hard-to-reach areas that have been affected by the earthquake and Tropical Storm Grace. With Episcopal Relief & Development’s support, these families will receive direct assistance so that they can meet basic needs such as food, medicine, and housing.
“For marginalized groups, the combined impact of COVID-19, the earthquake, and Tropical Storm Grace has the potential to be devastating,” said Ernest Cajuste, Senior Program Officer, Episcopal Relief & Development. “Episcopal Relief & Development is working with partners such as the Diocese of Haiti to support these individuals and families as they maintain their livelihoods, assets and dignity.”
Episcopal Relief & Development remains in close contact with the diocese and other partner organizations on the ground in Haiti as leaders assess needs in their communities. Please continue to pray for those who have been affected by the earthquake, tropical storm and COVID-19. Donations to the Haiti Fund will help the organization to continue to respond to this disaster.
This prayer comes from the Presiding Bishop and Primate of the Episcopal Church, the Most Rev. Michael Curry. It is translated into Haitian Creole.
Prayer for Haiti from Presiding Bishop Michael Curry—English
Eternal God, send forth your Sprit to encourage and strengthen the people of Haiti in these difficult times. We pray especially for those impacted by the recent earthquake. Encourage and strengthen those who help and support others. In your mercy, receive the souls of those who have died; comfort their families and loved ones. Surround with your presence the sick and suffering. Aid the work of those who still search and rescue. Empower the medical and aid workers and all who labor to heal.
Likewise, inspire and empower the resolve of the nations and peoples of the world to be your instruments of help and healing. Stir up the might of your love and compassion among the nations to rally resources and stay the course until the humanitarian job is accomplished.
Lastly, enfold and uphold the people of Haiti—from the youngest newly born to the oldest among us—in the arms of your love and the strength of your might. This we pray in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Priyè pou Ayiti de Evèk prezidan Michael Curry—Kreyòl Asyiyen
Bondye Letènèl, voye Lespri ou pou ankouraje epi ranfòse pèp Dayiti nan moman difisil sa yo. Nou priye espesyalman pou sila yo moun tranbleman detè resan an te enpakte. Ankouraje epi ranfòse moun ki ede epi sipòte zòt yo. Nan mizerikòd ou, resevwa nanm moun ki mouri yo; konfòte fanmi yo ak moun pwòch yo. Antoure ak prezans ou moun ki malad epi k ap soufri. Ede travay moun sou teren an k ap fouye epi fè sovtaj. Bay travayè medikal ak asistans yo fòs, ansanm ak tout moun k ap eseye refè.
Epitou, enspire epi ranfòse detèminasyon nasyon ak pèp nan lemond pou yo ka tounen enstriman pou w bay èd ak delivrans. Deklanche pisans lanmou ak konpasyon ou pami nasyon yo pou rasanble resous epi rete sou menm chimen an jiskaske djòb asistans imanitè a fini.
Pou fini, anvlope epi pwoteje pèp ayisyen—depi pi piti tibebe a ki fenk fèt jiska granmoun ki gen plis laj pami nou—nan bra lanmou ou ak nan fòs pisans ou. Se sa nou priye onon Jezi Krist Senyè nou, amèn.
Episcopal Relief & Development
For over 80 years, Episcopal Relief & Development has been working together with supporters and partners for lasting change around the world. Each year the organization facilitates healthier, more fulfilling lives for more than 3 million people struggling with hunger, poverty, disaster, and disease. Inspired by Jesus’ words in Matthew 25, Episcopal Relief & Development leverages the expertise and resources of Anglican and other partners to deliver measurable and sustainable change in three signature program areas: Women, Children, and Climate.
Church of the Redeemer
Church of the Redeemer: Worshiping God, living in community, and reaching out to the world. We are an Episcopal Church serving north King County and south Snohomish County, Washington. As you travel your road, go with friends walking the way of Jesus at Redeemer.
Church of the Redeemer is at 6220 Northeast 181st Street in Kenmore, Washington. We are a short distance north of Bothell Way, near the Burke-Gilman Trail. The entrance looks like a gravel driveway. The campus is larger on the inside than it is on the outside. And we managed to hide a large building on the side of a hill that is not easily seen from the street.
Spring forward this Sunday, March 8, 2026. Daylight saving time starts.
Stop by The Hangar at Kenmore Town Square anytime between 2:00 pm and 3:00 pm for Ashes to Go on Ash Wednesday, March 5, 2025.
3rd Sunday in Lent (Year A), March 8, 2026. Services at 8:00 am (no music) and 10:30 (music). Christian education for children and adults at 9:15 am. Spring forward one hour for the start of Daylight Saving Time.
