Here is the NFLTRO’s concluding report which briefly details all that was accomplished thanks to your generous support.
Established a few short months after Hurricane Irma hit northeast Florida, the NFLTRO evolved from being a collaborative for some thirty organizations working together to assist families impacted by the storm to the final safety net available to 101 families who had no means or ability to repair their severely damaged homes. It’s called a “concluding” report because there are still a few homes in the queue for repairs which we fully expect to complete by the end of June.
Along the way many lessons were learned and while we have been lauded for our ability to grow the initiative from the “ground up,” with the wherewithal to assist a significant number of residents in such a timely fashion, had such an organization and/or process already been in place our effort could have been far more impactful sooner. To that end I would encourage you to pay particular attention to the paragraph titled The Future of Response and Recovery so as to familiarize yourself with the good work John Sapora is leading in the establishment of a standing entity called Community Organizations Active in Disasters or “COAD.”
Speaking of learning, I jumped into the fray of all this right on the heels of my retirement from WJCT in January of 2018. What I brought to the table paled in comparison to those who for years, as either professionals or volunteers, have passionately given of their time and talent in the caring and support of others. As you might well expect, the first few months were most demanding as we struggled our way through the formation process. Having the ability to engage Raelyn Means as our Administrator certainly made my role going forward much easier. Throughout the report we acknowledge the many organizations and individuals who helped make this such a successful endeavor. I want to add my personal thanks to each and every one of them as well.
Thank you again. Not only for your generosity but the expression of confidence it represented in appreciating our ability to complete this very important work.
Michael T. Boylan
Chairman
Northeast Florida Long Term Recovery Organization