FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Hurricane Isaias Recovery: 22 Organizations Connect Through Serve Source to Help Communities Across Florida and Alabama

As churches and disaster relief organizations provide meals, supplies, debris removal, and other assistance, Serve Source is helping communities and responding partners find one another and coordinate recovery efforts.

AUSTIN, Texas — October 14, 2026 — Churches, disaster relief organizations, and community partners are responding across the Florida Panhandle and southern Alabama following Hurricane Isaias, which made landfall near Destin, Florida, on October 9 as a Category 2 hurricane with maximum sustained winds near 105 mph. As communities recover from damaging winds, fallen trees, power outages, and property damage, 22 organizations have connected 24 active responses through Serve Source, a nonprofit coordination and shared situational awareness platform helping churches and disaster response organizations work together and connect people with practical assistance.

From Hurricane Response to Community Recovery

Hurricane Isaias made landfall Friday evening, October 9, before moving inland through Alabama and into Tennessee. The National Hurricane Center reported that the system had weakened into a post-tropical cyclone by October 11.

Although the immediate hurricane threat has passed, recovery efforts continue as residents face damaged homes, fallen trees, disrupted utilities, and other storm-related challenges.

As of October 14, Serve Source is tracking 24 active responses from 22 organizations across 9 communities in Florida and Alabama, including Pensacola, Pace, Navarre, Milton, Brewton, Daphne, Mobile, Gulf Shores, and Orange Beach.

These organizations are providing or coordinating services including emergency meals, essential supplies, chainsaw and debris removal, roof tarping, volunteer support, and community recovery assistance.

Relationships Built Before Disaster Make a Difference During Recovery

For Terry Merrick, Founder and Director of Pensacola Dream Center, the importance of trusted relationships became personal when Hurricane Isaias struck her own home.

A tree crashed through the roof of Merrick's house during the storm, forcing her family to leave. Despite facing displacement herself, Merrick continued helping connect vulnerable residents with food, water, supplies, and assistance.

Her experience highlights why relationships between churches and disaster response organizations matter long before a storm arrives.

"The relationships that are built ... I know that I could call any of them. Because I've met them. I've talked to them. I could call anybody on that list and they would answer my call," said Terry Merrick, Founder and Director of Pensacola Dream Center.

Those relationships are translating into practical cooperation. Merrick described offering access to a ministry facility when Hope Force International needed a place for personnel to stay. The team brought equipment to help operate despite the loss of electrical power.

"The bottom line is, I trust them. I trust him because of the relationships," Merrick said.

For Merrick, connecting with other organizations is not simply about knowing who is responding. It is about building the trust that allows churches and ministries to share resources, respond to emerging needs, and support one another when their own communities are affected.

That relational approach is central to Serve Source, which helps churches, disaster relief organizations, and nonprofit partners establish connections before disasters and maintain shared visibility as response efforts develop.

Responding Organizations Providing Practical Help

Across affected communities, churches and disaster relief organizations are working together to provide emergency meals, essential supplies, debris removal, roof tarping, and other recovery assistance. Local churches are also helping national and regional response organizations connect with residents, volunteers, and available resources.

Eight Days of Hope is providing free hot meals in Navarre through a partnership with Destiny Worship Center. The organization has already deployed their Rapid Response team to Pensacola to remove fallen trees, tarp damaged roofs, clear debris, and help homeowners with storm-related cleanup. Its Navarre feeding operation is currently accepting local volunteers. https://eightdaysofhope.com/events/pensacola-fl/

Samaritan's Purse is coordinating volunteer opportunities in Pace, Florida, and Brewton, Alabama, where teams are assisting homeowners with debris cleanup, tree work, and roof tarping. Both day volunteers and overnight volunteers are welcome, with experienced team leaders providing instruction. https://spvolunteer.org/project-response/820

Church of the Highlands is coordinating trained disaster response teams to assist with tree removal, cleanup, and roof tarping. The organization is providing support to partner churches and affected communities in Florida as needs are identified. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1380008372103451/

Convoy of Hope is distributing urgent relief supplies to families affected by Hurricane Isaias, with response activity connected to Pace Assembly Ministries in Pace, Florida. The organization is providing resources and logistical support, focusing on communities experiencing significant needs following the storm. https://convoyofhope.org/

God's Pit Crew is responding in Santa Rosa County, Florida, with its Immediate Response Team providing tree work, roof tarping, and debris removal assistance. The organization has announced response operations October 12–21 and is encouraging both homeowners needing assistance and volunteers interested in serving to connect through its disaster relief program. https://godspitcrew.org/relief/

Hope Force International is assisting homeowners in the Pensacola area with roof tarping and flood cleanup as needs are confirmed. The organization is evaluating where its teams can provide the most effective assistance, including temporary protection for damaged roofs and cleanup of flooded homes. Hope Force is also working through relationships with local ministry partners to support its response. https://www.Hopeforce.org

Mercy Chefs is supporting Hurricane Isaias recovery with hot-meal assistance for affected families and response personnel. The organization has mobilized emergency feeding capabilities, including its Strike Kitchen and response equipment. In Pensacola, Mercy Chefs is partnering with Jubilee Church to provide freshly prepared meals as part of the church's broader community relief efforts. https://mercychefs.com/isaias-response-2026/

Minuteman Disaster Response is providing chainsaw crews supported by track loaders in Pace, Florida. Its teams are focused on removing fallen trees and storm debris, helping residents and responding organizations address hazardous conditions and improve access to affected properties. https://minutemanresponse.org/

Operation Blessing is supporting affected communities in the Pensacola area through emergency feeding, resource assistance, and damage reporting. The organization reported providing meals at Brownwood Church on October 10 and has disaster relief resources available to assist families as recovery needs develop. https://ob.org/disaster-response/

Pensacola Dream Center is helping connect local churches with resources and responding organizations throughout the Pensacola area. Led by Terry Merrick, the ministry is working to identify urgent community needs, assist residents who face barriers to accessing relief supplies, and strengthen cooperation between local congregations and disaster response partners. The organization is focused on supporting and resourcing churches rather than operating a public walk-in distribution or volunteer center. https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61566778514954

Jubilee Church Pensacola is serving as a community disaster relief hub, partnering with United Cajun Navy and Mercy Chefs to support affected families. The church is hosting emergency supply distribution, including water, food, diapers, hygiene products, and cleaning supplies, while Mercy Chefs provides hot meals. Jubilee Church is also helping residents communicate recovery needs and connect with available assistance. https://www.facebook.com/jubileepensacola/

Here to Serve Inc. is providing meals in Milton, Florida, with operations planned to serve approximately 2,000 meals daily at Christ Methodist Church. https://www.htserve.org

Renewed Ground Disaster Relief is deploying chainsaw crews and heavy equipment in Brewton, Alabama, to help residents clear fallen trees and storm debris. Sirens Project is joining these efforts with technical tree removal and heavy equipment services. https://www.renewedground.org https://sirensproject.org/

Oak Park Church is providing community meals, showers, and laundry services in Mobile, Alabama, including shower availability designated for first responders and utility workers. https://opcmobile.org/

Operation Airdrop is coordinating aviation and ground volunteers in Gulf Shores, Alabama, to support the delivery of emergency supplies to affected communities. https://operationairdrop.org/

BRACE (Be Ready Alliance Coordinating for Emergencies) is supporting disaster recovery coordination, resource distribution, logistics, and survivor assistance across Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties. https://www.bereadyalliance.org

Additional churches and organizations participating in the response include City Hope Church, Destiny Worship Center, Just the Crumbs, Pace Assembly Ministries, and Worship on the Water, contributing services such as emergency feeding, resource distribution, tree work, roof tarping, church-based staging, volunteer coordination, and support for responding organizations.

Together, these efforts demonstrate the value of connecting local churches with experienced disaster response organizations. By sharing information, resources, and response locations, participating organizations can better understand where assistance is available and identify opportunities to serve affected communities.

Helping Churches and Organizations Connect Before and After Disaster

Disaster response often involves organizations arriving from different communities, each bringing specialized equipment, volunteers, resources, and experience.

Local churches provide an important connection to affected neighborhoods, helping responding organizations understand community needs and identify opportunities to serve.

Serve Source is helping make response activity visible so churches, nonprofits, and aligned partners can better understand where services are being provided, where needs are emerging, and how response efforts are developing across impacted communities.

Through its shared disaster response map, Serve Source helps participating organizations communicate their response locations, available services, deployment information, and emerging needs.

This visibility helps organizations identify nearby partners, discover opportunities for cooperation, and reduce unnecessary duplication of effort.

For organizations not yet connected, Hurricane Isaias provides a practical example of why building relationships before the next disaster matters.

Churches and nonprofit organizations do not have to become disaster response specialists to play a meaningful role. They can establish relationships with experienced response organizations, communicate available resources, provide local support, and help connect affected residents with organizations equipped to meet their needs.

As Merrick's experience demonstrates, a trusted relationship established before a disaster can become an important source of support when a community needs help.

How Churches, Organizations, and Volunteers Can Get Connected

Serve Source encourages churches, nonprofit organizations, and individuals interested in helping with Hurricane Isaias recovery to explore the active disaster response map and connect directly with responding organizations.

Organizations can share their capabilities, report available resources, communicate needs, and identify other partners serving nearby communities.

Individuals and groups interested in volunteering should review the opportunities and requirements established by each responding organization rather than traveling into affected communities without a coordinated assignment.

To view current response partners, response locations, and volunteer opportunities for Hurricane Isaias, visit:

https://app.servesource.org/DisasterDetail?disaster=hurricane-isaias-october-2026

Churches and nonprofit organizations that want to strengthen their disaster response connections are also encouraged to connect with Serve Source before the next emergency.

Strong disaster response begins with relationships, and those relationships can begin long before a storm is on the horizon.

About Serve Source

Serve Source is a backbone organization that strengthens and equips churches, faith-based organizations, and aligned partners through relationships, shared infrastructure, and coordinated action so communities in crisis receive clearer, stronger, and more connected support. Through shared situational awareness, trusted relationships, and practical response infrastructure, Serve Source increases visibility for credible response efforts, helps reduce duplication, and supports more connected action during disasters and community needs. Serve Source is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Austin, Texas.