Local Boating Club Helps ‘Re-Tool’ CHR Volunteer Maintenance Team

provided to The Santiva Chronicle

The Sanibel-Captiva Boating Club or the Sail and Power Squadron recently helped “re-tool” the volunteer maintenance team for Community Housing & Resources, the island’s affordable housing program. The CHR organization experienced heavy damage to their affordable housing units during Hurricane Ian, which made landfall on Sept. 28, 2022.

The boating club formed a relief committee following the devastation of Ian, and voted to allocate 10 percent of its reserved funds to relief. It’s task was to find out what are the needs of its members and the greater community. In that process, it was learned the CHR volunteer maintenance team had lost everything – tools, replacement materials, cleaning supplies, etc.

The club’s relief committee proposed dedicating $1,000 to helping CHR, which was unanimously accepted, and raised an additional $865 at its April dinner meeting.

Ian destroyed more than 10 of CHR’s 73 affordable housing units, and only about dozen units did not need repair. leaving more than 50 units in need of work. Through the boat club’s generosity, the CHR volunteer maintenance crew is on its way to helping repair, replace and revitalize the housing units for our island workers and elders.

Presenting CHR Maintenance Crew Leader George Campean, third from left, with a $1,000 check is CHR Maintenance Crew Member and Sanibel Captiva Boating Club Member Ed Holden, left, Boating Club Relief Committee Chair Pat Schmidt, fourth from left, and Boating Club Treasurer Vicki Ross, right.