Third Wave Volunteers Hurricane Michael Aid Delivery 10 2018
Why we do what we do - Facebook Sponsor Third Wave Volunteers
For the past 9 months, since Hurricane Michael slammed into the Florida Panhandle, Third Wave volunteers have been working in the disaster zones of Mexico Beach and Panama City areas.
We call it the ”The forgotten Florida Panhandle disaster” as there are not many organizations left here to help and there are still 10,000’s of people suffering; including veterans under blue trapped homes and elderly people living in tents. Various volunteer activities included search and rescue, solar light deliveries, health checks, water testing, aid delivery, mental and medical health, cleaning out yards and houses, animal sanctuaries and worked where ever their were gaps and we were needed.
On the morning after Hurricane Michael made landfall, Third Wave SAR search and rescue teams got into Mexico Beach FL and into the bayou on air-boats to rescue people still trapped by trees and debris in their homes. Volunteers gave out solar lanterns, GIS mapping and water testing – along with medical health checks.
A few days after the hurricane we found the body of a 92-year old man who had lost his house in the hurricane (and lost his wife years earlier) so days after the hurricane he had waded out into the lake with his walker, tied an anchor around his waist and drowned himself. Mental health is one of the most important parts of this disaster. They are the scars you cannot see.
The devastation was greater than many of the disasters we had seen over the past 25 years on US soil and we knew right away we would be working in this area for a long time. The heart of a Third Wave volunteer beats strong. We believe ‘everyone is needed ‘ and there is still so much need in this disaster.
Please sign up for future volunteer projects.
Love Dr. Alison Thompson, Founder- Third Wave Volunteers
