With Sacred Heart and its ancillary facilities making it through each storm relatively unscathed, the focus of both the friars and parish committees has quickly turned to ways in which the parish can assist those recovering from myriads of issues these two storms have caused. As many local charities and government agencies have been expertly addressing immediate needs, such as food, water, and temporary lodging, our parish and ecumenical partners at Love INC of Metro Tampa are focused on providing relief to those who still face the uphill battle of recovery and replacement of necessary home goods and supplies.

A special Giving from the Heart drive-thru donation event has been scheduled for Saturday, November 9, from 9 to 11 a.m. to address the medium and long-term needs of families continuing their recovery processes. Members from Sacred Heart’s Knights of Columbus Council #12110 will be on hand at the North Campus (formerly Sacred Heart Academy; 3515 N Florida Avenue) to collect and collate all donated items, with volunteers from Love INC of Metro Tampa, who will assist in the distribution of the items to families across their network of local partner churches.

“Our goal is to provide much-needed relief to those impacted by the storms, helping families recover and rebuild,” says Chalette Davis, executive director of Love INC of Metro Tampa. “We are focused on meeting the practical needs for individuals and families affected by the hurricanes.”

Requested items will cover four categories from which kits or “love bundles” will be made to deliver to families in need:

• Cleaning Kits
• Personal Hygiene Kits (Self Care Love Bundle)
• Infant/Toddler (Baby Love Bundles)
• Household Necessity Kits (Welcome Home Love Bundles)

“Our prayers are obviously with our parishioners and neighbors,” says Fr. Mike Jones, OFM, pastor of Sacred Heart. “We know this is a difficult time for so many, especially on an emotional and spiritual level, and will be for quite a while. We are still receiving sporadic reports regarding damages to our parishioners’ and neighbors’ homes, so we want to make sure that if we can alleviate any burden during the recovery process, we work toward doing so.”

Sacred Heart has hosted its Giving from the Heart drives for nearly four years. Born out of an outpouring of love from parishioners during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the drives have become a staple of the downtown church’s community outreach efforts, with donation events being held every other month in support of new and diverse beneficiaries each time.

The full needs list for this special donation event is available at shfla.org/gfthstorms.

The friars of Sacred Heart are keeping all neighbors, both within their parish community and across the region, in their prayers as the process of recovery and healing continues.