Operation COMPASSION CENTER Impact Report – Crisis Relief and Recovery

TROPICAL STORM DEBBY

WESTFIELD, PENNSYLVANIA, AUG 19 - SEP 11, 2024

Utilizing an 11-person leadership team over the span of 13 days, Crisis Relief and Recovery completed 18 projects with an estimated value of $61,000. Running the operation from our Mobile Command Center, and with help from partners Eight Days of Hope, Develop Tioga, and Faith Family Ministries, CRR volunteers donated 750 hours of their time and were able to bring the Compassion Center food bank back on-line and ready to operate. This foodbank serves 250 families each month and serves $30,000 worth of food every month.

As part of our “Every Place Better” core value, we also enabled a fourfold increase in future capacity for the food bank, putting on the finishing touches of an expanded distribution area. Additionally we completed projects at 17 other homes & facilities to include:

Gutting of flood-damaged walls, and replacing insulation and drywall to repair damage
Replacing basement pillars to shore up damaged foundations
Re-building and installation of wheelchair ramp for elderly residents

The fourth named storm and second hurricane of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, Debby developed from a tropical wave that was first noted by the National Hurricane Center on July 26. It moved northwards and gradually intensified into a Category 1 hurricane before making landfall near Steinhatchee, Florida, early on August 5. Debby weakened once inland and began to slow down over the Southeastern United States, causing widespread flooding from heavy rain. It re-emerged in the Atlantic on August 7 before slowly moving northwards again, making landfall in South Carolina early on August 8 before weakening and becoming post-tropical the next day.

On Aug 9, 2024 the remnants of once-Hurricane DEBBY moved into Pennsylvania from the South causing the Cowanesque River to rise nearly 14 feet and created flooding in Westfield, PA. The river inundated homes, destroyed outbuildings, and required helicopter rescue for some home owners.

A "COMMONWEALTH" REBUILD MISSION

On August 19, CRR was alerted to a need across Tioga and Potter counties in our home state of Pennsylvania. While initial landfall of Debby garnered national media coverage, the extent of the damage across the Northeast United States was less well publicized. A resident reached out to our team, and we made the decision to deploy a small ADVON team on August 22nd.

The ADVON team quickly assessed the region, coordinated partners and determined the need fulfilled our Go/No-Go criteria. Most importantly, a community asset—a food bank used by 300 families each month—lost $60,000 worth of food and goods and required extensive gutting and rebuilding to get it back open.

A mission was scheduled for 1-11 September, with a prep team deploying on August 30th.

Most of the initial relief phase was handled by Eight Days of Hope and various partners, but our team of experienced volunteer builders was able to take the most vulnerable survivors and get them back in their homes – safe and secure.

POWER THROUGH PARTNERSHIP

Our core value “Power Through Partnership” meant that we could multiply our impact during our short mission to Westfield.

Before we even arrived, corporate sponsors at Airlink had provided flights and Monday.com’s Emergency Response Team provided us with the software to track our work on the ground. When we arrived, Eight Days of Hope generously provided a shower trailer to keep our team clean and sharp, and passed their case load identifying their most vulnerable cases for our attention.

Pastors Ken & Amanda Schoonover of Faith Family Ministries hosted us in their nearby church sanctuary. Materials were coordinated through the help of Lisa Rice at the Tioga County Emergency Management Office and Kristin Hamilton of Develop Tioga provided materials promptly whenever requested. CP Foster of In His Service helped the community by installing hot water heaters, and arranging and picking up materials for CRR as well.

The initial coordination and communication with Pennsylvania Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (PAVOAD) and Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency was critical in the opening days of our mission. Last but not least, CrisisCleanup.org was an invaluable tool for coordination and work management across our relief operations.

Our mission couldn’t have been accomplished without the cooperation and collaboration of teams literally around the world. We are immensely proud of the work that we do and the relationships we have fostered with industry leaders and local partners alike, that all have one mission: to meet the needs of the oppressed and hurting, no matter where, no matter what. The synergy gained by aligning with great partners is seen in the smiles of the families and survivors that we help.

GETTING THE JOB DONE - BY THE NUMBERS

CRR facilitates work by directly providing services and partnership with other organizations who use our damage assessments and work orders.
(values based on closed work orders, local commercial values and volunteer hours.)