Ida Recovery: One Family’s story
The Red Cross awarded A Future with Hope (AFWH) $273,203 to help those impacted by Hurricane Ida rebuild and recover. These funds, together with funds raised by The United Methodists of Greater New Jersey (GNJ), helped 42 households find their footing following the devastating storm. Last week, a team from the Red Cross visited New Jersey to meet with leaders from A Future with Hope and assess the work of recovery.
The team visited the home of Hesham Elwerdany, resident of Bridgewater, NJ. Elwerdany was at work when the storm hit. By the time he finished work, all the roads were closed. He walked home to discover that his basement had flooded completely while two feet of water flooded the first floor of his home. The winds had also damaged the home’s roof. He and his family of four needed help.
The road to recovery is long and hard, especially when resources are limited. Elwerdany was completely overwhelmed by the damage. The first time A Future with Hope’s disaster case manager Andy Chan reached out to him, Elwerdany wasn’t ready to start the process. Thankfully, Case Manager Chan persisted. When Chan called a second time, he and Elwerdany connected. Chan walked him through the verification process and helped him access the right resources.
On the day of the visit, leaders from the American Red Cross, Compass82, and A Future with Hope gathered in Elwerdany’s completely restored home as he proudly showed off his infant daughter’s picture on his phone. Through A Future with Hope’s recovery efforts, his roof and walls were repaired, and his family protected from dangerous mold.
Elwerdany’s story is just one of many. Over the past two years, A Future with Hope has helped 119 people recover and rebuild following the storm. A Future with Hope is able to do more with less because of the relationships and partnerships that have been built over the years from Sandy until now.
Through partnerships with the Red Cross, Habitat for Humanity, UMCOR, Compass82, and the NJ Department of Community Affairs, A Future with Hope was able to access volunteers with the skill base necessary to rebuild roofs, streamline the verification process, and find additional funding to resource recovery.
When people hurt, United Methodists help. To date, A Future with Hope has provided assistance to 42 different households, funding 68 recovery projects, and helping 119 people rebuild and find new hope following Hurricane Ida.