Backup Documents 12/16/2008 Item # 4A
PROCLAMA TION
'4A
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WHEREAS, Immokalee Helping Our People in Emergencies (I HOPE. Inc.) was founded in January of
2006 with the mission statement "To meet the need for ongoing coordination in Immokalee,
Collier County, Florida, providing support for people whose lives have been impocted by a
local disaster. I HOPE. Inc. will also provide collaborative leadership for planning,
recovery, rebuilding, mitigation, and advocacy for people in this community": and.
WHEREAS, I HOPE. Inc. came into existence in the aftermath of Hurricane Wilma that struck the
west coast of Florida in the early morning hours of October 24, 2005, with winds in excess
of 130 miles per hour whipping the coastline. This storm was the first hurricane to strike
this area of Florida in several decades: and.
WHEREAS, vanloads of Amish volunteers from Indiana, Iowa, and Michigan arrived in January of 200T
and stayed through early March, living, working, and getting to know the wonderful people
of Immokalee. Other Presbyterian, Lutheran, Methodist and United Church of Christ
volunteers from Erie, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Florida, and North Carolina joined hands to
reach out - repoiring roofs, rebuilding the insides of homes, helping place FEMA mobile
homes in place, and saw firsthand devastation that rivaled terrible living conditions in other
areas of the Americas. Most of the restoration work is anticipated to be completed by
the end of 2008: and,
WHEREAS, One by One Leadership Foundation of Stxithwest Florida supported the I HOPE director for
8 months until funding could be obtained to assist this rural community from the
destruction suffered from Hurricane Wilma: and.
WHEREAS, I HOPE, Inc. has implemented a disaster preporedness plan that incorporates private
citizens, farm laborers, businesses, and educational institutions working together to pre pore
our community for future disasters: and.
WHEREAS, Immokalee CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) consists of 19 members that have
been certified tl1 wl1rk with the Imml1kalee Fire Department and local Health Deportment in
case of IllCal emergencies, including hurricanes, tl1rnadoes, wildfires, and pondemic flu: and.
WHEREAS, I HOPE. Inc., in partnership with St. Matthews House, distributed $25. 000 worth l1f fl10d
vouchers to needy senior citizens: and.
WHEREAS, I HOPE. Inc., in partnership with One by One Leadership Foundation, is rebuilding 4
clients' hl1mes free l1f charge tl1 the families using CDB6-DRI funds, SHIP funds, Federal
Hl1me Loan Bank l1f Atlanta. and faith-based dontttions tottlling $607, 000: and,
WHEREAS, I HOPE. Inc. has rehabbed 400 homes, has set up 34 mobile homes for families in
Imml1kalee, and is in the process of cl1mp1eting the installatitm l1f l1nl1ther 35 mobile hl1mes
fl1r Wilma-impacted families in need.
NOW THEREFORE. be it prllClaimed by the Board l1f Cl1unty Cl1mmissioners of Cl1l1ier Cl1unty, Fll1rida,
that
I HOPE, Inc.
be recl1gnized fl1r its cl1ntributions to Cl1l1ier Cl1unty and the residents of Immokalee and
for their cl1ntinuing efforts in rebuilding hl1mes and lives in Imml1kalee.
DONE AND ORDERED THIS 16thDay l1f December, 2008.
A TrEST:
.....-., .. .,
\t.~~~d.'.~ !~~~
DWIGHT E... BROCK, CLERK
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