By Cecilia Sugar

Janet has spent years living through hurricanes without knowing what to do when one would hit. “It has benefited me a lot, because I didn’t know where to go,” she says now, describing how things have changed after the preparedness training she received. The training has finally taught her what a family needs to have on hand when a disaster strikes: water, a flashlight, something to cut with, something to protect yourself with and the knowledge to stay clear of downed power lines. For another community member, Josette, the turning point came in a CPR class where she admits she “didn’t know anything” walking into the class. “They show you how to do it,” she says. “If anything happens to me, I will know what I’m supposed to do.” Both women learned something that could one day save a life, in the very place they already came for support — their community center.

That community center is Interfaith Charities of South Lee, an organization known for supporting families with food, English classes, citizenship help and more. Over the past year, Interfaith has deepened that mission through a partnership with the American Red Cross, funded by a Latino Engagement Grant that brought hands-only CPR training, first aid education, smoke detectors and emergency preparedness directly into a space families already trust.

“CPR training is a wonderful way to help families protect themselves and become more resilient," says Executive Director of Interfaith South Lee, Lisa Swanson. The grant, she says, "was an amazing gift" that reached far beyond a single class. It funds a printer, extra food pantry refrigeration, a phone charging station and a satellite phone, all of which are designed for the moment the power goes out and a family needs to reach someone who can help. But the deeper change, Swanson says, is the confidence the partnership has built. "We're not just responding to emergencies, we're helping families understand how to prepare for them, how to stay safe, where to turn when they need help," she explains. "I can pick up the phone at any point in time and call any of our Red Cross partners, and either they can help me right then and there, or give me an answer, or direct me to somebody that can."

That trust is exactly what Janet and Josette say they feel every day -– a community that shows up for them. Josette remembers walking into Interfaith for the first time and feeling instantly at home. “Everybody loves me, we love each other, work together, work hard. I am happy to go there.” Janet has found this same warmth extended into every corner of her life. The training has not only provided her with resources surrounding disaster preparedness, but also information about banking and support for women facing hardship, resources she says she never would have found on her own. "They are very good at preparing the community, informing the community," she says. "May God continue to bless them, because they are a blessing for the whole community."