As hurricane season begins this month and lasts until the end of November, Talbot House Ministries is preparing for any emergency.
According to the Thomson Reuters Foundation, “About 14 million people are being made homeless on average each year as a result of sudden disasters such as floods and storms.”
When natural disasters hit, economically vulnerable citizens are often displaced. Organizations dedicated to helping the poor and homeless, such as Talbot House, also suffer from natural disasters, leaving those in need with even less assistance.
Where do the homeless go when there is a hurricane? Where do people go when they need to evacuate their homes? Not everyone has the resources to leave town during a natural disaster and live a temporary life elsewhere. When disaster strikes, Talbot House Ministries opens their doors to those in need.
We asked Cynthia, our Operations Director, how Talbot House is preparing for hurricane season. Cynthia shared, “We are stocking up on essential supplies, sharing urgent information with our staff and residents, performing hurricane practice drills, testing our fire alarm system and backup resources, and anything else we can do to be prepared. When people come to us in a time of emergency, homeless or displaced, we want to care for them to the best of our ability.”
Food Services Manager, Michele, let us know that we have stored enough food to last us 7-10 days and bottled water to last us 3 days.
How can you help? Our kitchen needs to stockpile:
- Napkins
- Paper towels
- Paper plates and bowls
- Plastic cups
- Plastic forks and spoons
- Bottled water
These items can be purchased through our Amazon wish list here.
Through your support, Talbot House will be better equipped to serve our community in the event of extreme weather. If you need more information on preparing your home or business for hurricane season, visit Polk County’s Disaster Preparedness website.