DADE CITY, Fla. — There’s a question even the strongest believers ask.
Why does God allow bad things to happen to good people?
Inside the Dade City home where Tommy Fitch lives, most people would quickly ponder that question.
The floors are still soggy. Furniture is in ruins. Walls and doors are peppered with black mold.
“There is a lot of mold everywhere,” Fitch said.
The home — and noxious smell of mold — will choke you up in more ways than one.
“I’m a 46 year old man, and I was crying for a couple days when I saw this,” he said.
The home belongs to Fitch’s parents. Months ago, he retired, sold two homes in Cleveland, and moved back in with his parents. He hoped to live the rest of his days there and eventually pass the family home onto his son, 18, who also moved down recently.
Then, Hurricane Milton hit. Eight days after, the home and much of Dade City flooded.
“This was just unreal,” Fitch recalled.
When nearby rivers crested from Milton’s rain, it flooded much of the area and surprised families like the Fitches.
It destroyed their homes and most precious belongings.
In Fitch’s home, even the family Bible was soaked to its core.
“You know, my mom — she’ll cry one day, and I’ll hug her. And my dad’s as hard as nails. It’s hard,” he said with tears welling in his eyes.
It would be easy to question God in a situation like this, but Fitch never did.
In fact, he was in the middle of prayer when he got a joyful phone call. He got a call from Father Carlos Rojas, the pastor of the St. Rita Catholic Church in Dade City.
“God allowed this,” Father Rojas said. “This has given us an opportunity to live out our faith and put our faith in action.”
But the local priest didn’t call Fitch to offer a sermon. He called to offer help.
On Saturday, Rojas will lead a team of volunteers to start the process of removing damage from ten — maybe 15 — homes across Dade City. Fitch’s home is on the list.
“We’ll have to go inside and gut everything. Empty the, you know, furniture, mattresses, appliances, clothing, toys. Everything goes out. And then, start getting the drywall, the carpets, the floors,” he said.
Right now, Rojas needs additional volunteers and donations of person protective equipment like masks, boots, and coveralls.
If you’d like to participate in the clean-up, you’re asked to report to the St. Rita Catholic Church at 8 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 23. The church is located at 14404 14th St. in Dade City.
You can also donate to the church’s effort at this link.
To Fitch, any help represents an answered prayer — a reason to keep the faith and hope for a brighter tomorrow.
“It’s God. God took care of all of us,” he said. “It’s going to be joyful.”
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