Nick Thurmer cleans out Camilla Brubaker’s home in Bokeelia on Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024. Brubaker got some flooding in Hurricane Ian and even more in Hurricane Helene. Thurmer and many other volunteers are working with the Greater Pine Island Alliance to clean out and eventually repair homes damaged by Hurricane Helene. The alliance is still working to repair homes from damage done by Hurricane Ian as well.
In a lot of places, when adversity hits, they slap a label ending with the descriptive “Strong" on the response. For Pine Island residents, that response means more than just a label, it's a motivation for neighbors lending a hand to neighbors.
One organization that takes that spirit to heart — the Greater Pine Island Alliance — has been in full help mode for over a week with volunteers assisting residents picking up the pieces after Hurricane Helene blew past Southwest Florida.
“We are back in full throttle mode of mucking and gutting, getting individuals' belongings out of the home so it doesn't do more damage to the home,” Erin Loller Lambert, Executive Director for the Greater Pine Island Alliance, said.
One recipient of that help was brought to tears when she was asked about the volunteers from the alliance.
Greater Pine Island Alliance steps in to help residents fix their homes after Hurricane Helene
“It’s a miracle,” Camilla Brubaker in Bokeelia said. “(Without them) I’d still be sitting here on top of my bed just staring.”
She is retired and was a victim of flooding during Ian. She had everything fixed since then — until Helene came by and her home flooded again, with even more water this time.
Brubaker 's neighbor signed her up for the Greater Pine Island Alliance to get help. She didn’t know they existed and was grateful for their help when she experienced a difficult time with her contractor after Ian. She also lost her car in the flood from Helene, and she’s not sure how she will afford a new one.
“I’ve lived here 40 years and never even thought about a flood," she said. "I figured Ian was the storm of the century for us.”
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Volunteers with the Greater Pine Island Alliance helped Pine Island residents clean up after flooding from Hurricane Helene.
Amanda Inscore Whittamore / WGCU
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Volunteers with the Greater Pine Island Alliance helped Pine Island residents clean up after flooding from Hurricane Helene.
Amanda Inscore Whittamore / WGCU
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Ellen Ballard moves some of her belongings in her garage on Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024 in Bokeelia. Ballard’s home flooded in Hurricane Helene, and they got help from friends, family and the Greater Pine Island Alliance.
Amanda Inscore Whittamore / WGCU
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Volunteers with the Greater Pine Island Alliance helped Pine Island residents clean up after flooding from Hurricane Helene.
Amanda Inscore Whittamore / WGCU
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Volunteers with the Greater Pine Island Alliance helped Pine Island residents clean up after flooding from Hurricane Helene.
Amanda Inscore Whittamore / WGCU
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Volunteers with the Greater Pine Island Alliance helped Pine Island residents clean up after flooding from Hurricane Helene.
Amanda Inscore Whittamore / WGCU
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Volunteers with the Greater Pine Island Alliance helped Pine Island residents clean up after flooding from Hurricane Helene.
Amanda Inscore Whittamore / WGCU
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Nick Thurmer cleans out Camilla Brubaker’s home in Bokeelia on Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024. Brubaker got some flooding in Hurricane Ian and even more in Hurricane Helene. Thurmer and many other volunteers are working with the Greater Pine Island Alliance to clean out and eventually repair homes damaged by Hurricane Helene. The alliance is still working to repair homes from damage done by Hurricane Ian as well.
Amanda Inscore Whittamore / WGCU
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Volunteers with the Greater Pine Island Alliance helped Pine Island residents clean up after flooding from Hurricane Helene.
Amanda Inscore Whittamore / WGCU
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Volunteers from Cape Christian came to help Ellen and Robert Ballard after their house flooded in Hurricane Helene.
Amanda Inscore Whittamore / WGCU
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Ellen Ballard moves some of her belongings in her garage on Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024 in Bokeelia. Ballard’s home flooded in Hurricane Helene, and they got help from friends, family and the Greater Pine Island Alliance.
Amanda Inscore Whittamore / WGCU
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Ellen and Robert Ballard moves some of her belongings in from their garage on Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024 in Bokeelia. Their home flooded in Hurricane Helene, and they got help from friends, family and the Greater Pine Island Alliance.
Amanda Inscore Whittamore / WGCU
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Eric Wightman and Steve Christensen move cabinets out of Wightman’s house in St. James City on Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024.
Amanda Inscore Whittamore / WGCU
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Eric Wightman and Steve Christensen move a flood-damaged dishwasher out of Wightman’s house in St. James City on Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024.
Amanda Inscore Whittamore / WGCU
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Eric Wightman moves a refrigerator out to the curb at his St. James City house on Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024.
Amanda Inscore Whittamore / WGCU
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Eric Wightman talks to Erin Lollar Lambert at his St. James City house on Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024. Wightman flooded in both Hurricane Ian and Helene.
Amanda Inscore Whittamore / WGCU
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Nick Thurmer, a local carpenter and artist, removes a broken dishwasher at Camilla Brubaker’s home in Bokeelia on Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024. Brubaker got some flooding in Hurricane Ian and even more in Hurricane Helene. Thurmer and many other volunteers are working with the Greater Pine Island Alliance to clean out and eventually repair homes damaged by Hurricane Helene. The alliance is still working to repair homes from damage done by Hurricane Ian as well.
Amanda Inscore Whittamore / WGCU
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Nick Thurmer cleans out Camilla Brubaker’s home in Bokeelia on Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024. Brubaker got some flooding in Hurricane Ian and even more in Hurricane Helene. Thurmer and many other volunteers are working with the Greater Pine Island Alliance to clean out and eventually repair homes damaged by Hurricane Helene. The alliance is still working to repair homes from damage done by Hurricane Ian as well.
Amanda Inscore Whittamore / WGCU
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Nick Thurmer, a local carpenter and artist, removes a broken dishwasher at Camilla Brubaker’s home in Bokeelia on Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024. Brubaker got some flooding in Hurricane Ian and even more in Hurricane Helene. Thurmer and many other volunteers are working with the Greater Pine Island Alliance to clean out and eventually repair homes damaged by Hurricane Helene. The alliance is still working to repair homes from damage done by Hurricane Ian as well.
Amanda Inscore Whittamore / WGCU
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Martin Roth removes wet drywall from Camilla Brubaker’s home in Bokeelia on Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024. Volunteers are working with the Greater Pine Island Alliance to clean out and eventually repair homes damaged by Hurricane Helene. The alliance is still working to repair homes from damage done by Hurricane Ian as well.
Amanda Inscore Whittamore / WGCU
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Martin Roth removes wet drywall from Camilla Brubaker’s home in Bokeelia on Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024. Volunteers are working with the Greater Pine Island Alliance to clean out and eventually repair homes damaged by Hurricane Helene. The alliance is still working to repair homes from damage done by Hurricane Ian as well.
Amanda Inscore Whittamore / WGCU
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Nick Thurmer, a local carpenter and artist, cuts out drywall in Camilla Brubaker’s home in Bokeelia on Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024. Thurmer and many other volunteers are working with the Greater Pine Island Alliance to clean out and eventually repair homes damaged by Hurricane Helene. The alliance is still working to repair homes from damage done by Hurricane Ian as well.
Amanda Inscore Whittamore / WGCU
Bokeelia residents Robert and Ellen Ballard were also recipients of alliance volunteer help.
Their home had never flooded until Helene. Robert Ballard was home during the storm and tried to save some of their things. He saw about 2 feet of water flow into his home from Helene with the resultant damage.
"All the other hurricanes we had, it never flooded. But this year, this time, when the hurricane was 150 miles offshore, it flooded. Yeah. It's unbelievable, yeah, unbelievable," he said.
Ballard said he tried to save valuables by putting things higher in the house and spent the night in the garage in his truck until the water began to recede.
"I wasn't scared. I didn't feel like I was in a life-threatening situation," he said. “Between the Pine Island Civic Association and the Greater Pine Island Alliance, they came and brought people in to help us get things squared away," he said.
The alliance volunteers who put time in do so willingly and from a sense of helping neighbors.
Steve Christensen is one such volunteer who works on the island and was told by a friend about the need for help.
"That reminded me that my employer offers two days a year of paid volunteer time off. And so I thought, Well, now's a good time to use that," he said.
He's relatively new to the community, moving here in 2020, and said it never occurred to him to help after Ian.
"I feel like I'm fortunate with where I live, that I got off with very little damage," he said. "So it feels, I don't know, feels pretty good to be able to help out."
Amanda Inscore Whittamore
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WGCU
Ellen Ballard moves some of her belongings in her garage on Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024 in Bokeelia. Ballard’s home flooded in Hurricane Helene, and they got help from friends, family and the Greater Pine Island Alliance.
The mission of the alliance is to return every survivor home, Lambert said. They worked toward that after Ian two years ago and are now repeating that effort after Helene.
"Our volunteers have come from all over. We've had some great support from Cape Christian, individuals on the island that you know themselves have, what did not receive damage," Lambert said.
The group could use monetary donations to help their cause and continue buying supplies.
"We partner with the American Red Cross, with Catholic Charities, with the United Way, with Habitat for Humanity, just to name a few of some of our amazing partners," she said.
More about the alliance and how it works can be found here.
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