IOCC Announces $1 Million Fundraising Goal for Hurricane Response
Staff, volunteers, and equipment staged for rapid response following devastation of Hurricanes Helene and Milton
Baltimore, MD. (October 14, 2024) – With the generous support of our donors, International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) announces a $1 million fundraising goal to help those affected by Hurricanes Helene and Milton.
Hurricane Helene struck the southeastern US as a Category 4 hurricane on Sept. 27, causing intense flooding and storm surges across Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, South Carolina, and North Carolina, and causing additional damage to Virginia and West Virginia. The damage was particularly severe in western North Carolina, where many roads and highways were badly damaged or destroyed, leaving communities cut off from support. The full extent of Helene’s impact is still being assessed, as are immediate needs on the ground.
Hurricane Milton made landfall in Florida as a Category 3 hurricane on Oct. 9, causing storm surges, flooding, and tornados across the central part of the state. Search and rescue efforts are ongoing in badly hit areas, and damage assessments are underway.
Anticipating widespread emergency response, IOCC has staff, volunteers, and equipment staging for immediate action once it is safe to begin work. IOCC is coordinating with partners and counterparts in affected states. IOCC’s Frontliners, professionals trained to offer emotional and spiritual care amid disaster and trauma, are standing by for deployment.
Team leaders are currently in the field conducting needs assessments, determining areas of greatest need. The initial 6-month response will include clean-up of storm and water damage, mucking-out homes and clearing debris, and the offering of emotional and spiritual care to those affected. Over the following 18 months, IOCC is committed to critical home repairs, the provision of construction materials and supplies, and manpower through our vast network of volunteer teams.
“As our IOCC assessment team travels throughout the southeast, we’ve seen just how widespread and severe the devastation has been. First responders continue life-saving operations in many areas where the situation remains critical,” said US Country Representative Archdeacon Paul Zaharas. “Based on needs assessments, we are committed to not only assisting with cleanup, but also long-term recovery activities in the months and years to come.”
Since 2001, IOCC has responded to numerous disasters in the United States, including Hurricane Dorian in 2019, Hurricane Ida in 2021, and Hurricane Ian in 2022. In addition to emotional and spiritual care, IOCC provided emergency food and nonfood items, muck-out assistance, clean-up kits, and generators in affected areas. IOCC continues long-term recovery work in states affected by these hurricanes.
Those wishing to support IOCC’s $1 million fundraising goal in response to the recent hurricanes, either through donation or volunteering, are welcome to visit iocc.org/hurricanes24 for more information.
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International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) is the humanitarian relief and development agency of the Assembly of Canonical Bishops of the United States of America. Since its inception in 1992, IOCC has provided more than $830 million in humanitarian relief and sustainable development programs in over 60 countries worldwide. Today, IOCC applies its expertise in humanitarian response to natural and human-caused crises in Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and the United States, offering assistance based solely on need. Learn more at iocc.org and follow us @IOCCRelief on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
