Many people throughout Florida are still in the process of repairing homes from damage from Hurricane Irma. But volunteers with one nonprofit are helping homeowners still suffering from damage from Hurricane Matthew in 2016.
- VIND working on 150 Matthew-damaged homes
- The nonprofit took a year to raise enough money
- Homeowners didn't have insurance, didn't get enough money from FEMA
VIND, an interfaith nonprofit, is now stepping in to help property owners who didn’t have insurance and a year later still haven’t gotten enough money from FEMA to get their homes fixed.
It’s taken the nonprofit a year to raise enough money to begin projects. This week, VIND is getting to the first of about 150 homes still damaged.
Rick Clay used to visit Daytona Beach to go to the racetrack. But now Clay is leading a team of volunteers from Pennsylvania in building a new roof at a Daytona Beach home.
The homeowner is a veteran who didn’t have the money to fix his roof after Hurricane Matthew damaged it.
“To give back to the community where we just used to come and have fun,” said Clay. “We don’t ask questions, we just do what we need to do and hope that when we leave we helped someone in need.”
VIND is replacing the roof and everything underneath it that’s now rotted and moldy thanks to a year of leaks into the house.
“We can’t get to them quick enough and it’s very heartbreaking,” said Terry Foley, VIND program coordinator. “And it’s going to cost more and more, and sometimes the homeowners are leaving now – they’ve just given up.”
Rick Clay’s volunteer team will spend a week in Volusia County repairing the home.
“There’s just so much of a need throughout the country, there’s a need for volunteers, so we’re just happy to do our part,” said Clay.
VIND runs off donations. If you’d like to help, you can find more information at http://www.floridavind.org.