The aftermath of Hurricane Milton, which struck less than two weeks after Hurricane Helene, wreaked havoc on many Floridians, leaving a path of destruction in its wake. Streets were flooded, debris floated along the roadway and in yards, and homes and buildings were destroyed, leaving families to pick up the pieces of what remained.
On Wednesday, October 16, during Palm Beach Atlantic University’s (PBA) fall break, Nathan Chau, PBA’s director of Workship, teamed up with the Tree of Life Resource Center to help with hurricane recovery for those impacted by the storm. PBA students also benefited from the opportunity, using their fall break to serve and give back to the community.
Founded in 2020, the Tree of Life Resource Center offers food assistance, clothing, medical, education and other necessary resources to assist individuals and families in need. In a moment of inspiration, Meghan Mayo, director of the Tree of Life Resource Center and PBA alumna, reached out to Chau to suggest that instead of the original plan to distribute food at the center, they reach out to clients in the community to see if they had any immediate, post-hurricane needs.
“It was very important to the staff members of the Tree of Life Resource Center, two of whom live in Loxahatchee and experienced the storm firsthand, to get out into the community to help with cleanup from Hurricane Milton,” said Mayo. “We are grateful that Nathan Chau and Grant Rowlette from the Workship office so easily pivoted with the change of plans and agreed to the opportunity to serve the immediate needs of our community.”
The first home they visited belonged to a Florida Power and Light worker and his family. Since he was on call for post-hurricane recovery, it was just his wife and their newborn at home.
“It was a heartfelt experience to serve someone whose job is to ensure we have power after a devastating storm,” Chau said.
A Family Affair
The day turned into a family affair when Chau’s father-in-law, Don, chipped in with his wheelbarrow, tractor and chainsaw for the second home they helped.
“It was honestly a miracle. We wouldn’t have been able to take out the tree that had fallen during the storm without Don’s help. Huge shoutout to him for bringing those tools and resources” Chau said. “I am thankful we had enough students to bless at least two families.”
Workship is PBA’s acclaimed community service program that responds to human needs with Christ-like action in the community and throughout the world. PBA students have served more than 4 million hours since the program began in 1968. To learn more or get involved, click here. If you would like to provide support for PBA students who have been impacted by these storms, please consider donating to the Student Hurricane Relief Fund.
