Print pageImage
Whipping through Stonybrook Apartments at more than 70 miles per hour, the winds from Hurricane Irma destroyed trees, power lines and the roof of an apartment building.
Assisted by Palm Beach County Fire Rescue, residents of the Riviera Beach apartment complex shuffled through the driving rain to safety. They looking back at their homes and all of their worldly possessions, wondering what, if anything, would be left when they returned home.
The next day, amidst the debris and downed power lines, Community Partners was there.
CEO Scott Hansel, Director of Targeted Case Management Cleveland Wester and Director of Education and Innovation Jibby Ciric visited properties early in the morning following the storm to assess damage and provide support for the residents.
As one resident put it, “It makes me tear up to see you here, a day after a hurricane, helping us.”
Half of the residents had lost power (and would remain without it for a week), the homes of some had suffered flood and mold damage, and others lost their roofs—and nearly everything inside, including furniture, clothing and food. Everything left was now a sodden mess.
At Village for Change, Community Partners’ substance-abuse treatment program, a roof was destroyed and three residents were displaced. At the organization’s supportive housing complex, Celtic Apartments, a tree was down.
Realizing the extent of the damage, the team mobilized resources and started reaching out to local businesses and other nonprofit organizations. Community Partners received donations of food, clothing and charcoal from Urban Youth Impact and the Children’s Services Council, ice from the local Marriott hotel and coolers from Restaurant Depot. Publix Supermarkets donated 70 turkeys and The Arc of Palm Beach County contributed twin beds.
Palm Beach County residents responded with equal largesse. A boosted Facebook request for donations was seen by more than 3,000 people, and residents drove to the main Community Partners office—their cars filled with nonperishable food items, clothing and cleaning supplies.
At the Stonybrook development, 16 residents—one representing each building—organized a grassroots effort akin to the Red Cross’ disaster-relief outreach. These volunteers assessed needs, triaged situations and dispensed supplies.
CEO Scott Hansel had only been with Community Partners for a little over three months when Hurricane Irma roared into town. When asked to reflect upon the challenge of being a new CEO and leading a nonprofit organization through a major hurricane like Irma, Hansel said he was confident in his team’s ability to meet the challenge.
“As a resident of Palm Beach County for the past 13 years, I’m very aware of the intense emotions hurricanes can evoke,” he said. “While anxieties can be high, seeing our stakeholders, volunteers and partners (like NeighborWorks America) join together for the greater good of their community is inspiring. It is what we do on a daily basis. The paradox is that collective suffering tends to bring out the very best in people.”
By working together and leveraging local resources, Community Partners exemplified not only its name, but also its mission statement of “changing the odds” for children and families facing adversity.
Assisted by Palm Beach County Fire Rescue, residents of the Riviera Beach apartment complex shuffled through the driving rain to safety. They looking back at their homes and all of their worldly possessions, wondering what, if anything, would be left when they returned home.
The next day, amidst the debris and downed power lines, Community Partners was there.
CEO Scott Hansel, Director of Targeted Case Management Cleveland Wester and Director of Education and Innovation Jibby Ciric visited properties early in the morning following the storm to assess damage and provide support for the residents.
As one resident put it, “It makes me tear up to see you here, a day after a hurricane, helping us.”
Half of the residents had lost power (and would remain without it for a week), the homes of some had suffered flood and mold damage, and others lost their roofs—and nearly everything inside, including furniture, clothing and food. Everything left was now a sodden mess.
At Village for Change, Community Partners’ substance-abuse treatment program, a roof was destroyed and three residents were displaced. At the organization’s supportive housing complex, Celtic Apartments, a tree was down.
Realizing the extent of the damage, the team mobilized resources and started reaching out to local businesses and other nonprofit organizations. Community Partners received donations of food, clothing and charcoal from Urban Youth Impact and the Children’s Services Council, ice from the local Marriott hotel and coolers from Restaurant Depot. Publix Supermarkets donated 70 turkeys and The Arc of Palm Beach County contributed twin beds.
Palm Beach County residents responded with equal largesse. A boosted Facebook request for donations was seen by more than 3,000 people, and residents drove to the main Community Partners office—their cars filled with nonperishable food items, clothing and cleaning supplies.
At the Stonybrook development, 16 residents—one representing each building—organized a grassroots effort akin to the Red Cross’ disaster-relief outreach. These volunteers assessed needs, triaged situations and dispensed supplies.
CEO Scott Hansel had only been with Community Partners for a little over three months when Hurricane Irma roared into town. When asked to reflect upon the challenge of being a new CEO and leading a nonprofit organization through a major hurricane like Irma, Hansel said he was confident in his team’s ability to meet the challenge.
“As a resident of Palm Beach County for the past 13 years, I’m very aware of the intense emotions hurricanes can evoke,” he said. “While anxieties can be high, seeing our stakeholders, volunteers and partners (like NeighborWorks America) join together for the greater good of their community is inspiring. It is what we do on a daily basis. The paradox is that collective suffering tends to bring out the very best in people.”
By working together and leveraging local resources, Community Partners exemplified not only its name, but also its mission statement of “changing the odds” for children and families facing adversity.
