By Julieann Jones | Grants Associate
Greetings Friends,
This month marks the passing of more than 1.5 years since Hurricane Michael made landfall on the Northwest Florida coast, leaving behind a path of devastation from which communities are still working to recover. In our last report, we were excited to share that a new Hurricane Michael Relief program was set to open this past April. Today, I have additional updates to share with you related to this, and an update regarding our operations overall in light of COVID-19.
With respect to the global pandemic, our top priority is and will continue to be the health, safety, and well-being of our staff, volunteers and the communities we serve. For this reason, effective March 12th, All Hands and Hearts temporarily suspended all operations, withdrawing over 400 staff and volunteers from seven program locations in the US and around the world in 72 hours. After careful consideration, our leadership team has now determined that it is unlikely we will be able to restart our volunteer-driven operations before September 2020. However, our commitments to beneficiary communities remain resolute. As of September 1, we expect to begin reopening programs on a case-by-case basis, based on local government guidelines and the advice of medical experts.
We know that the poor and vulnerable populations we serve are already feeling a disproportionate impact from COVID-19. Stay-at-home orders, closed schools, layoffs, and medical shortages land differently on those sheltering in a damaged home, in a community without internet or one without a clinic, or for those already struggling to afford basic necessities. Our goal now is to sustain our model and prepare to meet the challenges that COVID is already injecting into the disaster recovery landscape, so we can serve our mission over the long haul.
We are incredibly eager to return to the field, and continue serving families that still need our help. This fall, as soon as we are safely able, we will be setting up a program serving Jackson and Calhoun Counties. If all goes as planned, we will be able to engage staff and volunteers early in our operational re-start timeline (which in this case means we may have boots on the ground in Florida as early as September 1st)! I look forward to keeping you updated as plans progress, and the situation surrounding COVID-19 evolves.
Thank you for your ongoing support. You have our gratitude and sincere wishes for your health and well-being.
By Julieann Jones | Grants Associate
By Julieann Jones | Grants Associate
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