Elyse Morales was in her FEMA trailer at CB Smith Park in Broward County, Florida back in December 2005, when she slipped and broke her leg. She was wearing a cast for several weeks and after many ups and downs, FEMA built her a ramp so she could access the trailer, not having to climb any stairs. Weeks earlier, Hurricane Wilma had rendered her rental apartment uninhabitable in Dania, Florida and she was left with no place to stay. Her little daughter and teenage son could not comprehend fully the predicament they were in. Their father had suddenly died in his sleep a few years back, and now tragedy was hitting upon them again. Still, Elyse was determined to raise her children with love, dignity and security. Before Hurricane Wilma, they were on the brink of poverty, barely surviving on the income from her minimum-wage job. Wilma brought them over the brink.

Craig Vanderlaan and his daughters with a group of volunteers at CB Smith Park, Broward County, helping Hurricane Wilma's affected families

Ms. Morales moved into a FEMA trailer and survived on emergency services, ready to eat meals, gas given by local agencies, charity organizations, and occasional helpers who kept her beaten up car running. Throughout all this time, her spirit was unbroken and she knew she would make it after all.

In March 2006, HUD's Miami Field Office Director, Armando Fana, met Craig and Lisa Vanderlaan. Craig had left his job as a food broker after witnessing the suffering of hurricane Katrina victims, and in a leap of faith, the Vanderlaans created Adopt a Hurricane Family, Inc. (AHF). AHF would assist families who fled New Orleans, but then Wilma made landfall in South Florida and the target population expanded multifold. HUD provided the Vanderlaans advice and assisted them in organizing two housing resource fairs. Says Craig: "The advice and help from HUD changed our perspective on how to go about the business of assisting these families. HUD's knowledge of the local housing and resources landscape gave us a solid foundation to build on."

Seven months have passed since Adopt a Hurricane Family organized the first housing fair and 18 hurricane displaced families (out of 93 they originally adopted) are still seeking permanent housing. AHF has expanded its scope of services to other needy populations effected by the hurricanes of 2005. Over 200 families have received assistance from AHF. Craig and Lisa attribute AHF's success to the willingness of their community to work together in finding solutions for those in need.

Ms. Morales is back on her own, holding a permanent job and her two children are doing well in school. With help from AHF and its new network of agencies, she rented a house in a neighborhood they love. And the Vanderlaans? Well, says Craig: "We are still surviving on our home equity mortgage. We are confident, that by working together with other agencies and corporations, AHF will be able to continue their work to help families whose lives are disrupted by disasters."