Among Tucker Phillips’s memories of growing up are two powerful ones: his boyhood home in northern Virginia and his family’s vacation treks to Florida.
“I had family in Fort Myers and Bonita (Springs), so I’ve been coming here since I was a kid,” Phillips said of Sanibel Island. “I still can’t believe I live here now.”
His path from island vacationer to island resident came through a chance conversation with a park ranger at J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge in 2020. The ranger told him of an available internship for the newly christened environmental sciences graduate.
Still flush with those boyhood memories, Phillips applied and landed the job. Today, he works full-time as a ranger and volunteer coordinator, overseeing 100 volunteers and managing special events.
Like other “Ding” Darling staff at the time, Phillips lived in government housing — until Hurricane Ian made those facilities unlivable.
“I was bouncing around for a while, commuting farther away from work and constantly searching for housing,” he said. When two colleagues told him about Community Housing & Resources, “that seemed just the thing for me.”
Phillips underscored the vital role that CHR plays for local workers.
“It can be tough to find affordable housing on the islands. That was true even before the storm,” said Phillips. “I live at Airport Way, and I really like it. There’s lots of space, a nice porch, and I’m close to the beach.”
“I would definitely recommend CHR,” he added. “It’s a great option; the staff is very accommodating and great to work with.”
“I’m grateful for CHR. Having an organization that gets people on the island and keeps them on the island is very special,” concluded Phillips.
Community Housing & Resources provides safe, quality, affordable housing for families and individuals who work in and serve our island communities. Learn more at sancapchr.org.
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