MDS RV volunteers meet serious needs in Gulf Coast Florida

Anywhere between two and five people walk into the office of Taylor County Strong, a long-term disaster recovery group, every day. They need all kinds of help.

Ron Bloom, Taylor County Strong’s disaster construction coordinator, assesses their needs, and works with volunteer groups to try to help as many people as possible.

In Perry, Florida, where theTaylor County Strong’s offices are located, the latest round of damage is from Hurricane Helene. Residents suffered a lot of wind damage—including fallen trees and torn roofs. Taylor County, in Florida’s Big Bend region, also encompasses communities such as Steinhatchee, closer to the Gulf Coast, where a 21-foot storm surge inundated many homes and washed away others.

But Helene is just the most recent of a lineup of storms that has targeted the region. In August 2023, Hurricane Idalia caused significant damage in the same areas. Then, in August 2024, Hurricane Debby brought severe flooding.

After Helene, many people in the community were simply worn out, said Bloom, who also expressed concern about the high number of houses for sale. “You meet people, and you can tell they’ve gotten kind of numb,” he said.

Volunteers from the Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) RV Program have been helping in the area since Idalia hit. People sometimes say the MDS RV Program is more “laid-back” than traditional MDS responses. But RVers in Taylor County, working four days a week, six hours a day, have completed 14 repair jobs in nine weeks. And, in mid-March three more were underway.

MDS RVers, who generally stay for one month or more, bring their own RVs. In Florida, they’re staying on the grounds of Calvary Baptist Church, where they’ve made some needed repairs, and also enjoy playing pickleball with youth from the church.

“Before we leave, we’re going to paint the lines for a pickleball court for them,” said Steve Haskin, MDS project director.

Although the RV volunteers have a lot of fun together, they are serious about meeting people’s needs. “Every four or five houses we see still have tarp roofs,” said Harkin, who already hopes to return next year.

“We don’t want another storm,” added Bloom, who is grateful that MDS volunteers are among the last to remain. “We are all trying to be a part of what God wants to do in our community.”

MDS Writer – Susan Kim