July 2, 2024

Minutes | GPIA Monthly Meeting | 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 16, 2024 | Pine Island Community Church

Call to Order

  • Erin Lollar-Lambert, Executive Director

Partner Presentation

  • Rhett Huffaker, Ledgewood Roofing and Construction

Ledgewood Roofing and Construction, in collaboration with GPIA, has completed 38 roofs, at no cost to homeowners, since Hurricane Ian. Rhett acknowledged that navigating insurance can be confusing and is willing to support anyone who has questions. He encourages people to reach out — even if they have a signed contract with another roofer, he is still willing to help.

If you still need assistance or roof repair, the first step is reaching out to GPIA via our website and selecting the “Get Help” tab.

The second step is that Ledgewood will come out and do an onsite inspection to make sure you are getting the funds you need from insurance for your roof. He said that multiple checks are usually sent and people often think the first check will be the only one. He also added that a good tip is not to cash the check if you are not happy with the payout amount. If you do not have insurance or have an unmet needs after insurance, GPIA will work with you. The roofs Ledgewood is using are shingle, very durable, do not rust, have algae protection and are warrantied for up to 130mph winds. Clients are also upgraded to a peel and stick underlayment, which Rhett says is the most important part of the roof.

Treasurer’s Report — Dave Connor

  • March total revenue: $73,248.25
  • Total Expenses: $44,968.65
  • Net Revenue: $28,279.60

GPIA State of the Union – Aaron Barreda, Board Co-Chair / Erin Lollar-Lambert

  • Camp Noah: This camp is for children impacted by natural disasters and focuses on preparedness and resiliency. The camp was held during Spring Break and sponsored by the American Red Cross in partnership with GPIA and many people and organizations helped to make this program a great success. Jeannine Harbinsky and Isaac Holeva helped run the program. Street Eatz and Ale, Publix, Salty Girls Island Café, Horse Eyed Jakes, the Eagles Nest Restaurant, Trader Joes, Honc Industries all donated toward meals and snacks. We also had more than 20 volunteers who donated their time to help with the camp.
  • Construction Updates: GPIA is continuing to present and fund cases through the Unmet Needs Table with Lee County, as well as continuing to work with our partner organizations and grants. At this point, we currently have 11 active builds and, as Rhett stated, have completed 38 roofs.
  • Disaster Case Management process: The first step in the disaster case management process is to go to our website www.gpialliance.org and select the “Get Help” tab. After you complete this electronic form, it is emailed directly to the GPIA office and someone, usually Jeannine, will reach out to you to let you know we have received it and to ask if you want to add any additional repair requests or notes. If you do not have online access or are not comfortable using the Internet, please call our office at 239.558.4901 and Jeannine will be more than happy to help you. After the form is completed, someone from our partner agency Compass 82 will contact you to do an initial screening, then your case will be assigned to one of our two Disaster Case Managers, Tracy Wentz or Teresa Shattuck. Your Disaster Case Manager (DCM) will schedule a more detailed intake with you and at this point, you will be asked to provide the required documentation necessary for you to receive funding. This part of the process can be time-consuming but the quicker the documentation is provided, the quicker we can move forward. During this time, we will also schedule a visit from our Project Manager, gather repair estimates, obtain permits, secure funding, etc. It can be difficult to predict how long this part of the process takes because there are so many factors at play. It could be four to eight weeks or possibly longer in some cases.
  • Rooms To Go program: Salvation Army is partnering with Rooms To Go in a new program to assist survivors with furniture needs. If you are in need of furniture, please visit our website and select the “Get Help” tab to fill out the form.
  • Appliance program: Another partner, who has yet to be identified publicly, will be helping survivors in need of appliances. Please visit our website and select the “Get Help” tab if you would like to be part of this program.
  • Temporary Storage: Cape Christian has committed to come out to help us with this program, which provides temporary storage containers so homeowners have a secure place to store belongings while repairs are being made. They are gathering a team that will assemble and deliver the containers.

Partner Presentation

  • International Orthodox Christian Church (IOCC)

Frs. Constantine and Paul of the IOCC provided an overview of the organization and the services it is available to provide to Pine Islanders during recovery. The International Orthodox Christian Church (IOCC) formed a Psychosocial Support Program in the early 90s to provide emotional and spiritual care internationally following disasters. They now have a group dedicated to providing emotional first aid here in the U.S. funded by a grant from the American Red Cross. Their program consists of three phases: The first phase was training all their volunteers to be effective at helping survivors of disasters. The second phase is going out into the field, which currently consists of working in four counties in our region to take care of the people who take care of others, as well as help residents themselves. The third phase is supplying training through the International Stress Foundation, at no cost, to the people who will continue to support the community once IOCC is gone. Anyone is welcome to speak with them at anytime even if it’s just to share your story or to have a shoulder to cry on. The conversations that you have with them will remain confidential. For more information, click here. You can also call us at 239.558.4901 to be connected with an IOCC volunteer.

Public Comments/Questions

Adjourn

—Minutes respectfully submitted by Jeannine Harbinsky, Executive Assistant, GPIA

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