Rebuild Bay County launches ‘Keep It Cool’ program
BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) — For the last five years, Rebuild Bay County has been helping Hurricane Michael victims, and more recently January’s tornado victims.
The organization has spent 10’s of thousands of dollars helping residents bounce back.
Thursday the group’s leaders announced some big news. A Florida-based Lutheran church, that’s been working since Hurricane Michael, is donating another $200,000 to help with the organization’s mission.
That mission is to be the community’s long-term disaster recovery agency.
“There were a lot of organizations that came into the area to do some type of recovery services, Rebuild Bay County’s Executive Director Donna Pilson said. “We knew at some point that those or those organizations that came from other places that they would leave.”
One of those organizations was the Florida Bahamas Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church.
“After Hurricane Michael, they came in along with a disaster, the Lutheran Disaster Services, and provided some recovery,” Pilson said.
However, Pilson recognized the need for a local long-term recovery agency.
In response, she founded Rebuild Bay County.
Over the past five years, the non-profit has helped thousands of residents.
The Lutheran church recognized the organization’s success, and in 2022 donated $500,000 to the non-profit.
“It took us a little bit to get started, but it allowed us to be able to do some home repairs and as a result, we were able to complete 39 home repair projects,” Pilson said.
With this new grant, Pilson said Rebuild Bay County is working to make the community more resilient.
“This particular grant allows us to be able to because it’s not disastrous specific,” Pilson said.
“It allows us to be able to expand on those programs that will help the community be more resilient.”
Over the next two months, hundreds of young people will be coming to Bay County to help those who are still recovering from Hurricane Michael and January’s tornados.
Pilson said they’ll use some of this grant to buy materials and supplies they’ll use on clean-up and rebuilding projects.