HARDEE COUNTY, Fla. — Frustration, anger, and exhaustion are good words to describe how mom Joni Killius feels, but those aren't the emotions driving her to return home; joy and excitement for her children to return home are guiding her spirit.
Flood waters didn't damage Killius' home in Hardee County, but hurricane-force winds and driving rain were the culprits that made her Wauchula home unlivable.
Parts of her roof sheered off, the ceiling collapsed, rainwater poured in, and the dreaded black mold came days later.
"We quickly found out that we were underinsured," Killius said. "It's a very difficult road to navigate."
In September, Killius's home passed environmental tests clear of mold. But, the hurdles surrounding insurance companies, red tape, shady contractors, and financial stress are taking a toll.
In August, nearly a year after Hurricane Ian, Killius was looking for resources and found Jamie Samuels, the Director of SendMeMissions.
"It was just a ray of hope. It was hope that we were going to be put in touch with the right resources to come home," Killius said.
"Hearing Joni's story is hard for me as someone who is a fixer," Samuels said. "And, a year is hard to swallow to know that a year later, her house isn't complete. But we're not going anywhere. That's what we tell every single one of our clients; it doesn't matter what resources and volunteers are coming in and out. We live in this community. We love this community. So we're not going anywhere."
Samuels said they are helping make families whole by putting many pieces of a puzzle together. One critical piece is the SHRC (Sheltering in Home for Recovery Continuation) Program under Unite Florida.
"So, instead of sheltering outside of their home, they would at least have a safe location under a roof and with exterior doors," Samuels said.
Their nonprofit is the only VOAD (Volunteer Organization Active in Disaster) connected with Unite Florida.
"So as soon as someone's approved with the SHRC program, then we get to work directly with the homeowner in their housing project," Samuels said.
"We're at a point where it is so bad for some people that they're just like; we're gonna get it bare bones fixed as best as they can, so it's livable, not gonna be completely done?" Paluska asked.
"It's not. We let the SHRC program do what they do best, and that's up to about $25,000. And then we come in with those other puzzle pieces with our volunteer groups with the Office of Community Development here in Hardee County. Volunteer labor is the only way we can make progress on the recovery process for the residents."
Over the past year, Paluska's been on the ground in Hardee County profiling different volunteer groups from across the country coming to help residents, whether it be painting, hanging drywall, redoing bathrooms, kitchens, you name it, they've done it.
During this report, we came across a nonprofit called the LOST Bus. LOST is an acronym for Lending Our Services Traveling. Three Clemson graduates turned a school bus into a mobile tiny home touring the country to help people in need.
Their first stop was Wauchula following Hurricane Ian. They returned for their final stop last month before handing the keys to another group.
"It was crazy when we first got here, with the river still up and trees everywhere and houses torn down. So it's cool to see that there's already been a good amount of build back," Josh Haddad said. "And we're excited to get going with that rebuilding process. Because last time we were here, we were helping with tarping."
The needs will continue for years to come. In a recent assessment, Samuels said they learned about 70 households that were not on their radar.
"How many Joni's are out there?" Paluska asked Samuels.
"We don't know. I think that's what's hard," Samuels said. "It's hard to know that at any point somebody could walk in, and there's another Joni walking in."
For help applying for aid, go to SendMeMissions.
