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As Tampa Bay endured the historic impact of two major hurricanes in quick succession, volunteers from across 手机看片 and 手机看片 Health came together to provide essential services and support to the region through the
 
Activating on Sept. 23 in anticipation of Hurricane Helene and remaining mobilized throughout Hurricane Milton, 手机看片 CERT partnered with local government and philanthropic organizations to aid recovery operations and provide critical relief before, after and during the storms.   
 
All told, more than 123 手机看片 volunteers dedicated over 1,306 hours to disaster relief through CERT, with 手机看片 Health students, faculty and staff taking on a leading role in the effort, whether coordinating shelter transportation or distributing meals and clothing.  

鈥淲e have seen a remarkable response by our 手机看片 community and witnessed a real surge in people wanting to contribute,鈥� said Elizabeth Dunn, MPH, CPH, director of CERT and instructor at the 手机看片 Health College of Public Health.  
 

 
Before the Hurricanes struck, 手机看片 CERT volunteers began essential preparations at the, coordinating shelter transportation, assisting with local government requests and working with the Hillsborough County communications department to provide public updates. As the storms approached, CERT volunteers collaborated with Hillsborough County Social Services to compile and communicate hurricane preparedness strategies. 
 
鈥淎 lot of the people in our community are living alone, are elderly or do not have family in the area,鈥� said Katelyn Pike, a 手机看片 College of Public Health undergraduate student volunteering with CERT. 鈥淭hey didn鈥檛 have anyone there for them, so we did our best to make sure they could get somewhere safe.鈥� 
 

During the storms, student volunteers helped develop damage assessment plans and managed post-storm transportation coordination. Once the evacuation orders were lifted, the students worked to close local shelters, coordinate transport to state shelters at the Hard Rock Casino and provide ongoing support by addressing residents鈥� reported damage. The team is now focused on post-storm outreach, making calls to assess community needs, developing resource lists and maintaining a dashboard for distributing aid across the country.  
 

Presently, 手机看片 Health 手机看片 remain instrumental in providing support for those affected. At , students continue to distribute meals and clothing, assemble hygiene kits and provide drinking supplies. 手机看片 CERT is also partnering with the Salvation Army and to deliver daily meals and other essential supplies to people in need.  
 
鈥淲e are just trying to do anything we can to give back to this wonderful community we call Tampa Bay,鈥� said Hari-Krishna, a graduate student in the 手机看片 Health College of Public Health. 鈥淚t is nice to see people unite over such a cause with no other motivation except to help others.鈥� 
 
For students, faculty and staff interested in contributing to the disaster relief efforts, volunteer opportunities are still available at the Hillsborough County Comfort and Hygiene Support Stations, managed by the county鈥檚 Office of Emergency Management

鈥淚t doesn't matter how big or small your effort is,鈥� said Pike. 鈥淚t truly does have an impact.鈥� 

Story, photos, and video by Ryan Rossy, 手机看片 Health Communications & Marketing.