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Florida Catholic Charities agencies sign historic mutual aid agreement to respond to disasters  

The seven local Catholic Charities agencies serving Florida have signed an historic mutual aid agreement to provide a coordinated and cooperative response in times of disaster. Agencies from across the state, including Catholic Charities in the Diocese of Venice, already have banned together to help victims of Hurricane Dennis, Katrina and Wilma. 

Members of the Diocese of Venice Disaster Response Team went to Wauchula and Franklin counties, near St. Marks and Apalachicola where Hurricane Dennis spawned a 12 to 14 foot storm surge that battered towns and destroyed more than 200 homes. Workers distributed more than 200 bags of food by going door to door through some of the poorest neighborhoods. Many people were without food, water, electricity and in damaged homes. Catholic Charities has made a commitment to provide long-term support to this region.

The Florida Mutual Aid Agreement is the first formal disaster response agreement of its kind among local Catholic Charities in the nation. “Such collaboration and coordinated efforts will ensure that the statewide resources of the Florida Catholic Charities agencies are maximized so that people receive the assistance they need,” said Gerald Collins, director of Disaster Response for Catholic Charities USA.

The agreement outlines the commitment of each agency in the areas of funding, materials and resources, training, staffing, technical assistance, and volunteers in emergency management planning and response services. 

“This agreement provides Catholic Charities agencies with a peace of mind in knowing that in the event of a major disaster, particularly hurricanes, that they already have a set of committed resources in materials and people to assist them in disaster response and recovery,” said Marcus Hepburn, emergency management specialist for the Florida Catholic Conference, who helped facilitate the agreement.

Hepburn was hired in 2004, through a grant from Catholic Charities USA, to help coordinate statewide diocesan disaster relief efforts and serves as a liaison between the Florida Catholic Charities agencies, Catholic Charities USA, Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Region IV, state agencies, and other disaster response agencies. 

The mutual aid agreement is born out of the devastating 2004 hurricanes that left a path of destruction across much of the state. In October, the directors of the Florida agencies met in Tallahassee for a “hurricane summit” to plan a long-term, collaborative, response strategy and to begin consideration of a formal aid agreement.  

“As the directors reflected on their experiences in 2004 and how to be better prepared for the future, it became clear that some of the best examples of disaster response occurred when one diocese, through Catholic Charities, assisted another diocese with shipment of goods, technical assistance, or staff,” said Hepburn. 

For example, a team of experienced disaster responders from Catholic Charities of Miami provided Catholic Charities serving the Pensacola and Tallahassee areas with three vanloads of relief supplies and helped the agency mobilize its services to disaster victims. Catholic Charities in St. Petersburg also collected truckloads of food and supplies, sending them to Catholic Charities in  northwest Florida, Catholic Charities in Venice, and Catholic Charities in Orlando.

The seven Catholic Charities that signed the agreement are Catholic Charities of the Diocese of St. Augustine; Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Miami; Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Orlando; Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Palm Beach; Catholic Charities of Northwest Florida in the Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee; Catholic Charities of the Diocese of St. Petersburg; and Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Venice. The agreement was also signed by the Florida Catholic Conference.

Although the 2005 hurricane season is now underway, Florida Catholic Charities agencies continue to offer long-term recovery services to the victims of last year’s hurricanes. Services may include providing temporary and permanent housing, mental health counseling, budget and financial counseling, job placement and counseling, outreach to migrant farm workers, and other assistance. 

The Florida Catholic Charities’ hurricane short-term and long-term relief efforts have been funded in part by $2.7 million in grants from Catholic Charities USA. CCUSA, which has been commissioned by the U.S. Catholic bishops to represent the Catholic community in times of domestic disaster, responds with emergency and long-term assistance as needed. Its Disaster Response Office connects the Church’s social service agencies and disaster planning offices across the nation.