Damage estimates, Catholic Charities aid follow 2nd Florida hurricane

Published: 2004-09-08

ORLANDO, Fla. (CNS) -- On the heels of the devastation caused by Hurricane Charley in mid-August, Catholic Charities agencies throughout Florida geared up again in early September with disaster response teams and distribution sites to help those affected by Hurricane Frances. "This is a totally different animal than Charley," said Jerry Richardville, director of Catholic Charities in the Orlando Diocese. "In many areas we still don't have good communication and are working with our parishes, especially on the east coast to help them develop their own response teams so people can call in and report what their needs are and then be immediately connected with people who can help them. "The devastation is much like what we encountered from Hurricane Charley but much more pervasive," he added. To help with hurricane relief, Catholic Charities USA is collecting financial donations to assist communities recovering from the damage brought on by Hurricane Frances. Donations will be used to fund local Catholic Charities agencies' emergency and long-term disaster recovery efforts in areas hit by Frances.

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