{"id":15238,"date":"2023-09-08T08:59:20","date_gmt":"2023-09-08T12:59:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.eckerd.edu\/news\/?p=15238"},"modified":"2023-09-25T11:27:14","modified_gmt":"2023-09-25T15:27:14","slug":"rescue-eckerd-students-hurricane-idalia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.eckerd.edu\/news\/blog\/rescue-eckerd-students-hurricane-idalia\/","title":{"rendered":"Eckerd College students &#8216;came to the rescue&#8217; of local neighborhood hit hard by Hurricane Idalia"},"content":{"rendered":"[vc_row type=&#8221;in_container&#8221; full_screen_row_position=&#8221;middle&#8221; column_margin=&#8221;default&#8221; column_direction=&#8221;default&#8221; column_direction_tablet=&#8221;default&#8221; column_direction_phone=&#8221;default&#8221; scene_position=&#8221;center&#8221; text_color=&#8221;dark&#8221; text_align=&#8221;left&#8221; row_border_radius=&#8221;none&#8221; row_border_radius_applies=&#8221;bg&#8221; overflow=&#8221;visible&#8221; overlay_strength=&#8221;0.3&#8243; gradient_direction=&#8221;left_to_right&#8221; shape_divider_position=&#8221;bottom&#8221; bg_image_animation=&#8221;none&#8221;][vc_column column_padding=&#8221;no-extraa-padding&#8221; column_padding_tablet=&#8221;inherit&#8221; column_padding_phone=&#8221;inherit&#8221; column_padding_position=&#8221;all&#8221; column_element_direction_desktop=&#8221;default&#8221; column_element_spacing=&#8221;default&#8221; desktop_text_alignment=&#8221;default&#8221; tablet_text_alignment=&#8221;default&#8221; phone_text_alignment=&#8221;default&#8221; background_color_opacity=&#8221;1&#8243; background_hover_color_opacity=&#8221;1&#8243; column_backdrop_filter=&#8221;none&#8221; column_shadow=&#8221;none&#8221; column_border_radius=&#8221;none&#8221; column_link_target=&#8221;_self&#8221; column_position=&#8221;default&#8221; gradient_direction=&#8221;left_to_right&#8221; overlay_strength=&#8221;0.3&#8243; width=&#8221;1\/1&#8243; tablet_width_inherit=&#8221;default&#8221; animation_type=&#8221;default&#8221; bg_image_animation=&#8221;none&#8221; border_type=&#8221;simple&#8221; column_border_width=&#8221;none&#8221; column_border_style=&#8221;solid&#8221;][vc_column_text]\n<audio class=\"wp-audio-shortcode\" id=\"audio-15238-1\" preload=\"none\" style=\"width: 100%;\" controls=\"controls\"><source type=\"audio\/mpeg\" src=\"https:\/\/anchor.fm\/s\/deee7c24\/podcast\/play\/76353509\/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2023-8-25%2Fac6115e3-dba0-ee5b-2278-bc5128fc3c25.mp3?_=1\" \/><a href=\"https:\/\/anchor.fm\/s\/deee7c24\/podcast\/play\/76353509\/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2023-8-25%2Fac6115e3-dba0-ee5b-2278-bc5128fc3c25.mp3\">https:\/\/anchor.fm\/s\/deee7c24\/podcast\/play\/76353509\/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2023-8-25%2Fac6115e3-dba0-ee5b-2278-bc5128fc3c25.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n[\/vc_column_text][divider line_type=&#8221;No Line&#8221; custom_height=&#8221;16&#8243;][image_with_animation image_url=&#8221;15240&#8243; image_size=&#8221;full&#8221; animation_type=&#8221;entrance&#8221; animation=&#8221;None&#8221; animation_movement_type=&#8221;transform_y&#8221; hover_animation=&#8221;none&#8221; alignment=&#8221;&#8221; img_link_large=&#8221;yes&#8221; border_radius=&#8221;none&#8221; box_shadow=&#8221;none&#8221; image_loading=&#8221;skip-lazy-load&#8221; max_width=&#8221;100%&#8221; max_width_mobile=&#8221;default&#8221;][vc_column_text]<em>Eckerd College basketball and softball student-athletes with Assistant Men&#8217;s Basketball Coach Damian Dixon (second from left), Assistant Men&#8217;s Basketball Coach Jim Cantamessa (back row, fourth from right), and Head Men&#8217;s Basketball Coach Bryan Galuski &#8217;98 (far right) at The Gathering Church<\/em>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row type=&#8221;full_width_content&#8221; full_screen_row_position=&#8221;middle&#8221; column_margin=&#8221;default&#8221; column_direction=&#8221;default&#8221; column_direction_tablet=&#8221;default&#8221; column_direction_phone=&#8221;default&#8221; scene_position=&#8221;center&#8221; text_color=&#8221;dark&#8221; text_align=&#8221;left&#8221; row_border_radius=&#8221;none&#8221; row_border_radius_applies=&#8221;bg&#8221; overflow=&#8221;visible&#8221; overlay_strength=&#8221;0.3&#8243; gradient_direction=&#8221;left_to_right&#8221; shape_divider_position=&#8221;bottom&#8221; bg_image_animation=&#8221;none&#8221; shape_type=&#8221;&#8221; gradient_type=&#8221;default&#8221;][vc_column column_padding=&#8221;padding-2-percent&#8221; column_padding_tablet=&#8221;inherit&#8221; column_padding_phone=&#8221;inherit&#8221; column_padding_position=&#8221;right&#8221; column_element_direction_desktop=&#8221;default&#8221; column_element_spacing=&#8221;default&#8221; desktop_text_alignment=&#8221;default&#8221; tablet_text_alignment=&#8221;default&#8221; phone_text_alignment=&#8221;default&#8221; background_color_opacity=&#8221;1&#8243; background_hover_color_opacity=&#8221;1&#8243; column_backdrop_filter=&#8221;none&#8221; column_shadow=&#8221;none&#8221; column_border_radius=&#8221;none&#8221; column_link_target=&#8221;_self&#8221; column_position=&#8221;default&#8221; gradient_direction=&#8221;left_to_right&#8221; overlay_strength=&#8221;0.3&#8243; width=&#8221;1\/1&#8243; tablet_width_inherit=&#8221;default&#8221; animation_type=&#8221;default&#8221; bg_image_animation=&#8221;none&#8221; border_type=&#8221;simple&#8221; column_border_width=&#8221;none&#8221; column_border_style=&#8221;solid&#8221;][vc_column_text]\n<h3>The Shore Acres neighborhood in St. Petersburg is notorious for flooding. Several inches of water can cover the streets during a routine summer thunderstorm. Many of the people who live in the 12,000 or so homes there think of the rising water as an occasional nuisance. But on August 29, Hurricane Idalia came calling.<\/h3>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row type=&#8221;full_width_content&#8221; full_screen_row_position=&#8221;middle&#8221; column_margin=&#8221;default&#8221; column_direction=&#8221;default&#8221; column_direction_tablet=&#8221;default&#8221; column_direction_phone=&#8221;default&#8221; scene_position=&#8221;center&#8221; top_padding=&#8221;32&#8243; text_color=&#8221;dark&#8221; text_align=&#8221;left&#8221; row_border_radius=&#8221;none&#8221; row_border_radius_applies=&#8221;bg&#8221; overflow=&#8221;visible&#8221; advanced_gradient_angle=&#8221;0&#8243; overlay_strength=&#8221;0.3&#8243; gradient_direction=&#8221;left_to_right&#8221; shape_divider_position=&#8221;bottom&#8221; bg_image_animation=&#8221;none&#8221; shape_type=&#8221;&#8221; gradient_type=&#8221;default&#8221;][vc_column column_padding=&#8221;padding-2-percent&#8221; column_padding_tablet=&#8221;inherit&#8221; column_padding_phone=&#8221;inherit&#8221; column_padding_position=&#8221;right&#8221; column_element_direction_desktop=&#8221;default&#8221; column_element_spacing=&#8221;default&#8221; desktop_text_alignment=&#8221;default&#8221; tablet_text_alignment=&#8221;default&#8221; phone_text_alignment=&#8221;default&#8221; background_color_opacity=&#8221;1&#8243; background_hover_color_opacity=&#8221;1&#8243; column_backdrop_filter=&#8221;none&#8221; column_shadow=&#8221;none&#8221; column_border_radius=&#8221;none&#8221; column_link_target=&#8221;_self&#8221; column_position=&#8221;default&#8221; gradient_direction=&#8221;left_to_right&#8221; overlay_strength=&#8221;0.3&#8243; width=&#8221;2\/3&#8243; tablet_width_inherit=&#8221;default&#8221; animation_type=&#8221;default&#8221; bg_image_animation=&#8221;none&#8221; border_type=&#8221;simple&#8221; column_border_width=&#8221;none&#8221; column_border_style=&#8221;solid&#8221;][vc_column_text]Idalia strengthened off Florida\u2019s Gulf Coast to a Category 4 storm before making landfall in the Big Bend region. Idalia\u2019s storm surge brought flooding that many Shore Acres residents said they\u2019d never seen before\u2014two feet or more in some homes. The next day, up and down the streets, piles of water-damaged chairs, sofas, carpets and flooring slouched along the curbs.<\/p>\n<p>Two days after the storm passed, Rev. Douglas McMahon Jr., director of <a href=\"\/religious-life\/\">religious life<\/a> and chaplain at Eckerd College, received word from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thegatheringstpete.org\/\">The Gathering Church in Shore Acres<\/a> that volunteers were needed to help with the cleanup effort. McMahon relayed the message to <a href=\"https:\/\/eckerdtritons.com\/staff-directory\/tom-ryan-87\/2\">Athletic Director Tom Ryan \u201987<\/a> because of Eckerd athletes&#8217; past assistance to community members in need. Ryan in turn contacted his coaches.<\/p>\n<p>The response was almost immediate. Eighteen members of the Eckerd College <a href=\"https:\/\/eckerdtritons.com\/sports\/softball\">softball<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/eckerdtritons.com\/sports\/mens-basketball\">men\u2019s basketball<\/a> teams would be there the next day\u2014Saturday morning\u2014to do whatever was needed to help.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think if you put the word out to everybody on campus, the response would have been the same,\u201d Ryan says. \u201cThe Eckerd way puts a major emphasis on service.\u201d[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column column_padding=&#8221;no-extra-padding&#8221; column_padding_tablet=&#8221;inherit&#8221; column_padding_phone=&#8221;inherit&#8221; column_padding_position=&#8221;all&#8221; column_element_direction_desktop=&#8221;default&#8221; column_element_spacing=&#8221;default&#8221; desktop_text_alignment=&#8221;default&#8221; tablet_text_alignment=&#8221;default&#8221; phone_text_alignment=&#8221;default&#8221; background_color_opacity=&#8221;1&#8243; background_hover_color_opacity=&#8221;1&#8243; column_backdrop_filter=&#8221;none&#8221; column_shadow=&#8221;none&#8221; column_border_radius=&#8221;none&#8221; column_link_target=&#8221;_self&#8221; column_position=&#8221;default&#8221; gradient_direction=&#8221;left_to_right&#8221; overlay_strength=&#8221;0.3&#8243; width=&#8221;1\/3&#8243; tablet_width_inherit=&#8221;default&#8221; animation_type=&#8221;default&#8221; bg_image_animation=&#8221;none&#8221; border_type=&#8221;simple&#8221; column_border_width=&#8221;none&#8221; column_border_style=&#8221;solid&#8221;][image_with_animation image_url=&#8221;15241&#8243; image_size=&#8221;full&#8221; animation_type=&#8221;entrance&#8221; animation=&#8221;None&#8221; animation_movement_type=&#8221;transform_y&#8221; hover_animation=&#8221;none&#8221; alignment=&#8221;&#8221; border_radius=&#8221;none&#8221; box_shadow=&#8221;none&#8221; image_loading=&#8221;default&#8221; max_width=&#8221;100%&#8221; max_width_mobile=&#8221;default&#8221;][divider line_type=&#8221;No Line&#8221; custom_height=&#8221;16&#8243;][vc_column_text]<em>Left to right: Juniors Kent Garard, Mekhi Perry and Isaiah Placide team up with first-year George Kimble to remove damaged furniture.<\/em>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row type=&#8221;full_width_content&#8221; full_screen_row_position=&#8221;middle&#8221; column_margin=&#8221;default&#8221; column_direction=&#8221;default&#8221; column_direction_tablet=&#8221;default&#8221; column_direction_phone=&#8221;default&#8221; scene_position=&#8221;center&#8221; top_padding=&#8221;16&#8243; bottom_padding=&#8221;16&#8243; text_color=&#8221;dark&#8221; text_align=&#8221;left&#8221; row_border_radius=&#8221;none&#8221; row_border_radius_applies=&#8221;bg&#8221; overflow=&#8221;visible&#8221; advanced_gradient_angle=&#8221;0&#8243; overlay_strength=&#8221;0.3&#8243; gradient_direction=&#8221;left_to_right&#8221; shape_divider_position=&#8221;bottom&#8221; bg_image_animation=&#8221;none&#8221; shape_type=&#8221;&#8221; gradient_type=&#8221;default&#8221;][vc_column column_padding=&#8221;padding-2-percent&#8221; column_padding_tablet=&#8221;inherit&#8221; column_padding_phone=&#8221;inherit&#8221; column_padding_position=&#8221;all&#8221; column_element_direction_desktop=&#8221;default&#8221; column_element_spacing=&#8221;default&#8221; desktop_text_alignment=&#8221;default&#8221; tablet_text_alignment=&#8221;default&#8221; phone_text_alignment=&#8221;default&#8221; background_color_opacity=&#8221;1&#8243; background_hover_color_opacity=&#8221;1&#8243; column_backdrop_filter=&#8221;none&#8221; column_shadow=&#8221;none&#8221; column_border_radius=&#8221;none&#8221; column_link_target=&#8221;_self&#8221; column_position=&#8221;default&#8221; el_class=&#8221;lg_text&#8221; advanced_gradient_angle=&#8221;0&#8243; gradient_direction=&#8221;left_to_right&#8221; overlay_strength=&#8221;0.3&#8243; width=&#8221;1\/1&#8243; tablet_width_inherit=&#8221;default&#8221; animation_type=&#8221;default&#8221; bg_image_animation=&#8221;none&#8221; border_type=&#8221;simple&#8221; column_border_width=&#8221;none&#8221; column_border_style=&#8221;solid&#8221; gradient_type=&#8221;default&#8221;][vc_column_text]<span class=\"accent-color\">McMahon explains that the students responded and organized the work themselves. \u201cThese were not official college service learning projects,\u201d he says. \u201cThey responded in one day on their own, using their weekend time to help in this way.\u201d<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row type=&#8221;full_width_content&#8221; full_screen_row_position=&#8221;middle&#8221; column_margin=&#8221;default&#8221; column_direction=&#8221;default&#8221; column_direction_tablet=&#8221;default&#8221; column_direction_phone=&#8221;default&#8221; scene_position=&#8221;center&#8221; top_padding=&#8221;32&#8243; bottom_padding=&#8221;32&#8243; text_color=&#8221;dark&#8221; text_align=&#8221;left&#8221; row_border_radius=&#8221;none&#8221; row_border_radius_applies=&#8221;bg&#8221; overflow=&#8221;visible&#8221; advanced_gradient_angle=&#8221;0&#8243; overlay_strength=&#8221;0.3&#8243; gradient_direction=&#8221;left_to_right&#8221; shape_divider_position=&#8221;bottom&#8221; bg_image_animation=&#8221;none&#8221; shape_type=&#8221;&#8221; gradient_type=&#8221;default&#8221;][vc_column column_padding=&#8221;padding-2-percent&#8221; column_padding_tablet=&#8221;inherit&#8221; column_padding_phone=&#8221;inherit&#8221; column_padding_position=&#8221;right&#8221; column_element_direction_desktop=&#8221;default&#8221; column_element_spacing=&#8221;default&#8221; desktop_text_alignment=&#8221;default&#8221; tablet_text_alignment=&#8221;default&#8221; phone_text_alignment=&#8221;default&#8221; background_color_opacity=&#8221;1&#8243; background_hover_color_opacity=&#8221;1&#8243; column_backdrop_filter=&#8221;none&#8221; column_shadow=&#8221;none&#8221; column_border_radius=&#8221;none&#8221; column_link_target=&#8221;_self&#8221; column_position=&#8221;default&#8221; gradient_direction=&#8221;left_to_right&#8221; overlay_strength=&#8221;0.3&#8243; width=&#8221;1\/1&#8243; tablet_width_inherit=&#8221;default&#8221; animation_type=&#8221;default&#8221; bg_image_animation=&#8221;none&#8221; border_type=&#8221;simple&#8221; column_border_width=&#8221;none&#8221; column_border_style=&#8221;solid&#8221;][vc_column_text]\u201cOur campus wasn\u2019t severely damaged,\u201d McMahon adds, \u201cso for the students to stop what they were doing and express their gratitude and compassion is a great thing to see and to nurture. And we all want to see ourselves as a part of the city.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Brielle Benefield, a senior <a href=\"\/visualarts\/\">visual arts<\/a> student from Seminole, Florida, and a pitcher on the softball team, was busy moving into her dorm that Saturday. \u201cI still had a lot of stuff to do,\u201d she says, \u201cbut I stopped doing that. I\u2019m a Florida girl, and I know the devastation hurricanes can cause.\u201d She was one of the first students to volunteer to aid residents in the mostly working class section of the neighborhood.<\/p>\n<p>Eckerd students were divided into groups of two and sent to houses that had requested help from the church. Dante Bouchard\u2014a junior <a href=\"\/visualarts\/\">visual arts<\/a> student from Gloversville, New York, who is a member of the men\u2019s basketball team\u2014accompanied Brielle.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row type=&#8221;full_width_content&#8221; full_screen_row_position=&#8221;middle&#8221; column_margin=&#8221;default&#8221; column_direction=&#8221;default&#8221; column_direction_tablet=&#8221;default&#8221; column_direction_phone=&#8221;default&#8221; scene_position=&#8221;center&#8221; top_padding=&#8221;32&#8243; bottom_padding=&#8221;32&#8243; text_color=&#8221;dark&#8221; text_align=&#8221;left&#8221; row_border_radius=&#8221;none&#8221; row_border_radius_applies=&#8221;bg&#8221; overflow=&#8221;visible&#8221; advanced_gradient_angle=&#8221;0&#8243; overlay_strength=&#8221;0.3&#8243; gradient_direction=&#8221;left_to_right&#8221; shape_divider_position=&#8221;bottom&#8221; bg_image_animation=&#8221;none&#8221; shape_type=&#8221;&#8221; gradient_type=&#8221;default&#8221;][vc_column column_padding=&#8221;no-extra-padding&#8221; column_padding_tablet=&#8221;inherit&#8221; column_padding_phone=&#8221;inherit&#8221; column_padding_position=&#8221;all&#8221; column_element_direction_desktop=&#8221;default&#8221; column_element_spacing=&#8221;default&#8221; desktop_text_alignment=&#8221;default&#8221; tablet_text_alignment=&#8221;default&#8221; phone_text_alignment=&#8221;default&#8221; background_color_opacity=&#8221;1&#8243; background_hover_color_opacity=&#8221;1&#8243; column_backdrop_filter=&#8221;none&#8221; column_shadow=&#8221;none&#8221; column_border_radius=&#8221;none&#8221; column_link_target=&#8221;_self&#8221; column_position=&#8221;default&#8221; advanced_gradient_angle=&#8221;0&#8243; gradient_direction=&#8221;left_to_right&#8221; overlay_strength=&#8221;0.3&#8243; width=&#8221;1\/1&#8243; tablet_width_inherit=&#8221;default&#8221; animation_type=&#8221;default&#8221; bg_image_animation=&#8221;none&#8221; border_type=&#8221;simple&#8221; column_border_width=&#8221;none&#8221; column_border_style=&#8221;solid&#8221; gradient_type=&#8221;default&#8221; column_padding_type=&#8221;default&#8221;][image_with_animation image_url=&#8221;15242&#8243; image_size=&#8221;full&#8221; animation_type=&#8221;entrance&#8221; animation=&#8221;Fade In From Bottom&#8221; animation_easing=&#8221;default&#8221; animation_movement_type=&#8221;transform_y&#8221; hover_animation=&#8221;none&#8221; alignment=&#8221;&#8221; img_link_large=&#8221;yes&#8221; border_radius=&#8221;none&#8221; box_shadow=&#8221;none&#8221; image_loading=&#8221;skip-lazy-load&#8221; max_width=&#8221;100%&#8221; max_width_mobile=&#8221;default&#8221;][divider line_type=&#8221;No Line&#8221; custom_height=&#8221;16&#8243;][vc_column_text]<em>George Kimble &#8217;27 clears debris for a local homeowner.<\/em>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row type=&#8221;full_width_content&#8221; full_screen_row_position=&#8221;middle&#8221; column_margin=&#8221;default&#8221; column_direction=&#8221;default&#8221; column_direction_tablet=&#8221;default&#8221; column_direction_phone=&#8221;default&#8221; scene_position=&#8221;center&#8221; top_padding=&#8221;16&#8243; bottom_padding=&#8221;16&#8243; text_color=&#8221;dark&#8221; text_align=&#8221;left&#8221; row_border_radius=&#8221;none&#8221; row_border_radius_applies=&#8221;bg&#8221; overflow=&#8221;visible&#8221; advanced_gradient_angle=&#8221;0&#8243; overlay_strength=&#8221;0.3&#8243; gradient_direction=&#8221;left_to_right&#8221; shape_divider_position=&#8221;bottom&#8221; bg_image_animation=&#8221;none&#8221; shape_type=&#8221;&#8221; gradient_type=&#8221;default&#8221;][vc_column column_padding=&#8221;padding-2-percent&#8221; column_padding_tablet=&#8221;inherit&#8221; column_padding_phone=&#8221;inherit&#8221; column_padding_position=&#8221;all&#8221; column_element_direction_desktop=&#8221;default&#8221; column_element_spacing=&#8221;default&#8221; desktop_text_alignment=&#8221;default&#8221; tablet_text_alignment=&#8221;default&#8221; phone_text_alignment=&#8221;default&#8221; background_color_opacity=&#8221;1&#8243; background_hover_color_opacity=&#8221;1&#8243; column_backdrop_filter=&#8221;none&#8221; column_shadow=&#8221;none&#8221; column_border_radius=&#8221;none&#8221; column_link_target=&#8221;_self&#8221; column_position=&#8221;default&#8221; el_class=&#8221;lg_text&#8221; advanced_gradient_angle=&#8221;0&#8243; gradient_direction=&#8221;left_to_right&#8221; overlay_strength=&#8221;0.3&#8243; width=&#8221;1\/1&#8243; tablet_width_inherit=&#8221;default&#8221; animation_type=&#8221;default&#8221; bg_image_animation=&#8221;none&#8221; border_type=&#8221;simple&#8221; column_border_width=&#8221;none&#8221; column_border_style=&#8221;solid&#8221; gradient_type=&#8221;default&#8221;][vc_column_text]<span class=\"accent-color\">\u201cWe helped one man who was moving rugs out of his house, and then we helped a woman who was by herself with her small children,\u201d Brielle says. \u201cThere was all this debris around her house, and we raked it up and bagged it. She tried to give us $100, but we told her we\u2019re here for community service. She was fine with that and gave the money to the church.<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row type=&#8221;full_width_content&#8221; full_screen_row_position=&#8221;middle&#8221; column_margin=&#8221;default&#8221; column_direction=&#8221;default&#8221; column_direction_tablet=&#8221;default&#8221; column_direction_phone=&#8221;default&#8221; scene_position=&#8221;center&#8221; top_padding=&#8221;32&#8243; text_color=&#8221;dark&#8221; text_align=&#8221;left&#8221; row_border_radius=&#8221;none&#8221; row_border_radius_applies=&#8221;bg&#8221; overflow=&#8221;visible&#8221; advanced_gradient_angle=&#8221;0&#8243; overlay_strength=&#8221;0.3&#8243; gradient_direction=&#8221;left_to_right&#8221; shape_divider_position=&#8221;bottom&#8221; bg_image_animation=&#8221;none&#8221; shape_type=&#8221;&#8221; gradient_type=&#8221;default&#8221;][vc_column column_padding=&#8221;padding-2-percent&#8221; column_padding_tablet=&#8221;inherit&#8221; column_padding_phone=&#8221;inherit&#8221; column_padding_position=&#8221;right&#8221; column_element_direction_desktop=&#8221;default&#8221; column_element_spacing=&#8221;default&#8221; desktop_text_alignment=&#8221;default&#8221; tablet_text_alignment=&#8221;default&#8221; phone_text_alignment=&#8221;default&#8221; background_color_opacity=&#8221;1&#8243; background_hover_color_opacity=&#8221;1&#8243; column_backdrop_filter=&#8221;none&#8221; column_shadow=&#8221;none&#8221; column_border_radius=&#8221;none&#8221; column_link_target=&#8221;_self&#8221; column_position=&#8221;default&#8221; gradient_direction=&#8221;left_to_right&#8221; overlay_strength=&#8221;0.3&#8243; width=&#8221;1\/1&#8243; tablet_width_inherit=&#8221;default&#8221; animation_type=&#8221;default&#8221; bg_image_animation=&#8221;none&#8221; border_type=&#8221;simple&#8221; column_border_width=&#8221;none&#8221; column_border_style=&#8221;solid&#8221;][vc_column_text]\u201cThese people got the very unfortunate end of the stick,\u201d Brielle observes. \u201cWe went to other houses that were completely destroyed. One woman lost her whole house and all the kid\u2019s toys. I get a great joy out of helping people. I know that it could\u2019ve been us, and I know I would\u2019ve loved to have people help me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Janice Roth is the business administrator at The Gathering Church, which is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church\u2014the church with which Eckerd College (formerly Florida Presbyterian College) has been affiliated by a covenant since <a href=\"\/about\/mission\/\">the College\u2019s founding in 1958<\/a>. A Shore Acres resident, Roth helped coordinate which homes the Eckerd students visited.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ve heard that 85% of the homes in Shore Acres were breached,\u201d she says. \u201cAnd there were a couple of really bad fires. The students did anything they could, from hauling out spoiled furniture to ripping up flooring. They came to our rescue.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd the people were so thankful. I have a soft spot for older people who have no one to care for them, and one is a woman who lives alone and commented on how helpful and polite the students were,\u201d Roth adds. \u201cShe said the kids just came in and worked quickly. And they didn\u2019t complain about the heat or the smell. They just dug right in.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The woman Roth was referring to is Lillian Koziol. This is a text message she sent to Roth that Saturday: \u201cThank you, thank you, thank you Janice for sending two of the nicest young men I have ever met. In two hours they saved me two days of back-breaking work. I can\u2019t thank you, the church, these young men and their parents enough for helping me.\u201d[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[vc_row type=&#8221;in_container&#8221; full_screen_row_position=&#8221;middle&#8221; column_margin=&#8221;default&#8221; column_direction=&#8221;default&#8221; column_direction_tablet=&#8221;default&#8221; column_direction_phone=&#8221;default&#8221; scene_position=&#8221;center&#8221; text_color=&#8221;dark&#8221; text_align=&#8221;left&#8221; row_border_radius=&#8221;none&#8221; row_border_radius_applies=&#8221;bg&#8221; overflow=&#8221;visible&#8221; overlay_strength=&#8221;0.3&#8243; gradient_direction=&#8221;left_to_right&#8221; shape_divider_position=&#8221;bottom&#8221; bg_image_animation=&#8221;none&#8221;][vc_column column_padding=&#8221;no-extraa-padding&#8221; column_padding_tablet=&#8221;inherit&#8221; column_padding_phone=&#8221;inherit&#8221; column_padding_position=&#8221;all&#8221; column_element_direction_desktop=&#8221;default&#8221; column_element_spacing=&#8221;default&#8221; desktop_text_alignment=&#8221;default&#8221; tablet_text_alignment=&#8221;default&#8221;&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":130,"featured_media":15240,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[205,80,83,89,203,159],"tags":[1023,1026,207,1024,1025,239],"class_list":{"0":"post-15238","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-about-eckerd","8":"category-alumni","9":"category-athletics","10":"category-community-engagement","11":"category-service","12":"category-students","13":"tag-athletics","14":"tag-idalia","15":"tag-service","16":"tag-shore-acres","17":"tag-st-petersburg","18":"tag-tom-ryan"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.6 (Yoast SEO v27.6) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Eckerd College students &#039;came to the rescue&#039; of local neighborhood hit hard by Hurricane Idalia - News | Eckerd College<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.eckerd.edu\/news\/blog\/rescue-eckerd-students-hurricane-idalia\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Eckerd College students &#039;came to the rescue&#039; of local neighborhood hit hard by Hurricane Idalia\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"News | Eckerd College\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.eckerd.edu\/news\/blog\/rescue-eckerd-students-hurricane-idalia\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"News | Eckerd College\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-09-08T12:59:20+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-09-25T15:27:14+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/www.eckerd.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2023\/09\/athletes-idalia.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Tom Zucco\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Tom Zucco\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.eckerd.edu\\\/news\\\/blog\\\/rescue-eckerd-students-hurricane-idalia\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.eckerd.edu\\\/news\\\/blog\\\/rescue-eckerd-students-hurricane-idalia\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Tom Zucco\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.eckerd.edu\\\/news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/e4f374512cebfaf0e80743ab22a7f66d\"},\"headline\":\"Eckerd College students &#8216;came to the rescue&#8217; of local neighborhood hit hard by Hurricane Idalia\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-09-08T12:59:20+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-09-25T15:27:14+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.eckerd.edu\\\/news\\\/blog\\\/rescue-eckerd-students-hurricane-idalia\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":2590,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.eckerd.edu\\\/news\\\/blog\\\/rescue-eckerd-students-hurricane-idalia\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.eckerd.edu\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/51\\\/2023\\\/09\\\/athletes-idalia.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Athletics\",\"Idalia\",\"service\",\"Shore Acres\",\"St. Petersburg\",\"Tom Ryan\"],\"articleSection\":[\"About Eckerd\",\"Alumni\",\"Athletics\",\"Community Engagement\",\"Service\",\"Students\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.eckerd.edu\\\/news\\\/blog\\\/rescue-eckerd-students-hurricane-idalia\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.eckerd.edu\\\/news\\\/blog\\\/rescue-eckerd-students-hurricane-idalia\\\/\",\"name\":\"Eckerd College students 'came to the rescue' of local neighborhood hit hard by Hurricane Idalia - News | Eckerd College\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.eckerd.edu\\\/news\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.eckerd.edu\\\/news\\\/blog\\\/rescue-eckerd-students-hurricane-idalia\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.eckerd.edu\\\/news\\\/blog\\\/rescue-eckerd-students-hurricane-idalia\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.eckerd.edu\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/51\\\/2023\\\/09\\\/athletes-idalia.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-09-08T12:59:20+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-09-25T15:27:14+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.eckerd.edu\\\/news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/e4f374512cebfaf0e80743ab22a7f66d\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.eckerd.edu\\\/news\\\/blog\\\/rescue-eckerd-students-hurricane-idalia\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.eckerd.edu\\\/news\\\/blog\\\/rescue-eckerd-students-hurricane-idalia\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.eckerd.edu\\\/news\\\/blog\\\/rescue-eckerd-students-hurricane-idalia\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.eckerd.edu\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/51\\\/2023\\\/09\\\/athletes-idalia.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.eckerd.edu\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/51\\\/2023\\\/09\\\/athletes-idalia.jpg\",\"width\":1800,\"height\":1200,\"caption\":\"Group of softball and basketball students stand side by side\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.eckerd.edu\\\/news\\\/blog\\\/rescue-eckerd-students-hurricane-idalia\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.eckerd.edu\\\/news\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Eckerd College students &#8216;came to the rescue&#8217; of local neighborhood hit hard by Hurricane Idalia\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.eckerd.edu\\\/news\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.eckerd.edu\\\/news\\\/\",\"name\":\"News | Eckerd College\",\"description\":\"Newsroom at Eckerd College\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.eckerd.edu\\\/news\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.eckerd.edu\\\/news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/e4f374512cebfaf0e80743ab22a7f66d\",\"name\":\"Tom Zucco\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/e95b572fd764b73d09a73a51bd8ff41d76bbc23aa5d35c272f0c61a36265fc19?s=96&d=blank&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/e95b572fd764b73d09a73a51bd8ff41d76bbc23aa5d35c272f0c61a36265fc19?s=96&d=blank&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/e95b572fd764b73d09a73a51bd8ff41d76bbc23aa5d35c272f0c61a36265fc19?s=96&d=blank&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Tom Zucco\"}}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Eckerd College students 'came to the rescue' of local neighborhood hit hard by Hurricane Idalia - News | Eckerd College","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.eckerd.edu\/news\/blog\/rescue-eckerd-students-hurricane-idalia\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Eckerd College students 'came to the rescue' of local neighborhood hit hard by Hurricane Idalia","og_description":"News | Eckerd College","og_url":"https:\/\/www.eckerd.edu\/news\/blog\/rescue-eckerd-students-hurricane-idalia\/","og_site_name":"News | Eckerd College","article_published_time":"2023-09-08T12:59:20+00:00","article_modified_time":"2023-09-25T15:27:14+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1800,"height":1200,"url":"http:\/\/www.eckerd.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2023\/09\/athletes-idalia.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Tom Zucco","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Tom Zucco","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.eckerd.edu\/news\/blog\/rescue-eckerd-students-hurricane-idalia\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.eckerd.edu\/news\/blog\/rescue-eckerd-students-hurricane-idalia\/"},"author":{"name":"Tom Zucco","@id":"https:\/\/www.eckerd.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/e4f374512cebfaf0e80743ab22a7f66d"},"headline":"Eckerd College students &#8216;came to the rescue&#8217; of local neighborhood hit hard by Hurricane Idalia","datePublished":"2023-09-08T12:59:20+00:00","dateModified":"2023-09-25T15:27:14+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.eckerd.edu\/news\/blog\/rescue-eckerd-students-hurricane-idalia\/"},"wordCount":2590,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.eckerd.edu\/news\/blog\/rescue-eckerd-students-hurricane-idalia\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.eckerd.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2023\/09\/athletes-idalia.jpg","keywords":["Athletics","Idalia","service","Shore Acres","St. Petersburg","Tom Ryan"],"articleSection":["About Eckerd","Alumni","Athletics","Community Engagement","Service","Students"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.eckerd.edu\/news\/blog\/rescue-eckerd-students-hurricane-idalia\/","url":"https:\/\/www.eckerd.edu\/news\/blog\/rescue-eckerd-students-hurricane-idalia\/","name":"Eckerd College students 'came to the rescue' of local neighborhood hit hard by Hurricane Idalia - News | Eckerd College","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.eckerd.edu\/news\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.eckerd.edu\/news\/blog\/rescue-eckerd-students-hurricane-idalia\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.eckerd.edu\/news\/blog\/rescue-eckerd-students-hurricane-idalia\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.eckerd.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2023\/09\/athletes-idalia.jpg","datePublished":"2023-09-08T12:59:20+00:00","dateModified":"2023-09-25T15:27:14+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.eckerd.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/e4f374512cebfaf0e80743ab22a7f66d"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.eckerd.edu\/news\/blog\/rescue-eckerd-students-hurricane-idalia\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.eckerd.edu\/news\/blog\/rescue-eckerd-students-hurricane-idalia\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.eckerd.edu\/news\/blog\/rescue-eckerd-students-hurricane-idalia\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.eckerd.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2023\/09\/athletes-idalia.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.eckerd.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2023\/09\/athletes-idalia.jpg","width":1800,"height":1200,"caption":"Group of softball and basketball students stand side by side"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.eckerd.edu\/news\/blog\/rescue-eckerd-students-hurricane-idalia\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.eckerd.edu\/news\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Eckerd College students &#8216;came to the rescue&#8217; of local neighborhood hit hard by Hurricane Idalia"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.eckerd.edu\/news\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.eckerd.edu\/news\/","name":"News | Eckerd College","description":"Newsroom at Eckerd College","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.eckerd.edu\/news\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.eckerd.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/e4f374512cebfaf0e80743ab22a7f66d","name":"Tom Zucco","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/e95b572fd764b73d09a73a51bd8ff41d76bbc23aa5d35c272f0c61a36265fc19?s=96&d=blank&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/e95b572fd764b73d09a73a51bd8ff41d76bbc23aa5d35c272f0c61a36265fc19?s=96&d=blank&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/e95b572fd764b73d09a73a51bd8ff41d76bbc23aa5d35c272f0c61a36265fc19?s=96&d=blank&r=g","caption":"Tom Zucco"}}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.eckerd.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15238","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.eckerd.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.eckerd.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.eckerd.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/130"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.eckerd.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15238"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.eckerd.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15238\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15281,"href":"https:\/\/www.eckerd.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15238\/revisions\/15281"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.eckerd.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15240"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.eckerd.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15238"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.eckerd.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15238"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.eckerd.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15238"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}