Disasters tend to dominate the news for a time, but then they fade from view. That doesn’t mean that everything is back to normal for the people who live through those events. Besides the physical loss and damage a disaster brings, many survivors carry the emotional burden of a catastrophic event—a need that must be addressed on the road to healing.
Amid this year’s peak hurricane season, IOCC is on the ground in Florida serving survivors of Hurricane Ian, which hit the state in 2022, with emotional and spiritual care, also called psychosocial support services. This program is part of long-term recovery work under IOCC’s US Program.
Funded in part by a grant from the American Red Cross, this IOCC project is helping hundreds of Ian survivors in Lee County and nearby areas process their experience of the storm and its aftermath. IOCC Frontliners are conducting group sessions that offer structured conversation and connection with others. They’ll also be working with individuals and families, helping participants work through what happened and build their ability to cope with challenges that remain as they rebuild and recover.
Each IOCC Frontliner is a professional trained to care for others: some are priests or chaplains, counselors, social workers, or therapists; others are medical professionals, EMTs, or emergency response managers. Spirituality is part of the human experience, so when a disaster disrupts a person’s and a community’s life, emotional and spiritual care contribute to healing. Respectful care in time of disaster—and sometimes for years afterward—helps people cope and recover, laying the groundwork for resilience and hope.
