It was early September and the uncertainty of ‘Irma’geddon was looming thick in the air. Gas stations were selling out, replenishing their goods, and selling out again. Stores were stripped bare, roads were eerily vacant, and all across the county, panicked people placed storm shutters and plywood across their homes. Floridians all over the state were making tough calls when on Friday, September 8th at 6am, Pinellas County began issuing mandatory evacuations and then declared a local state of emergency. For some, deciding whether to stay or go was a complex matrix of pros and cons peppered with emotion and frantic phone calls from friends and family across the country. Others had no choice but to leave their homes and if they were in the Pinellas County area, many ended up seeking refuge in one of the sixteen emergency shelters across the county. (Enter Stage Right, a Pinellas County high school transformation).
At noon on Friday, September 8th, Gibbs High School began the complex transformation from a nexus of learning for South County residents to a safe haven for the vulnerable few who stayed behind. Gibbs High School was now in hurricane crisis mode, but the threat of crisis couldn’t be found on a single face of the brave and brilliant crew within the shelter. School faculty and staff worked hard to create a sense of calm and establish a safe zone for the over three hundred evacuees who sought shelter. From Friday to Monday, Uplift St. Pete a seamless operation went into play under the guidance of Principal Reuben Hepburn, and many were inspired to join in and assist this group of heroes who committed to working tirelessly for their community and for their city.
Pastor Jen Jennings was one of these volunteers. Her church rents space from Gibbs High School on Sundays and when news of the shelter opening made it to Pastor Jen, she gathered volunteers and headed in to assist with logistics on Saturday and Sunday. She was astounded by the commitment of the staff and faculty. “Nobody was complaining,” she said. Conditions weren’t perfect and the hours were extreme, but she noted that “It speaks a lot to the environment Principle Hepburn fosters there.”
In the end, Irma wasn’t Tampa Bay’s worst case scenario. If that scenario ever arrives, you can be certain to seek refuge with the courageous men and women running a tight ship over at Gibbs.
