Rochester counselor returns to Rochester after Florida deployment to help victims of Hurricane Ian

(ABC 6 News) – The Salvation Army of Rochester announced that counselor Jessica Bradford, will return to Rochester from Florida on Friday.

Bradford was deployed to the Fort Myers, FL area earlier in October to help and serve the communities impacted by Hurricane Ian.

RELATED: Rochester counselor deploys to aid in Hurricane Ian recovery efforts

Bradford started her deployment in the Fort Myers area, and is ending her time in the Port Charlotte area of the state.

On September 28, Hurricane Ian made landfall near Cayo Costa in southwestern Florida as a dangerous, high-end Category 4 storm with sustained winds of 150 mph, tying the record for the fifth-strongest hurricane on record to strike the United States.

“This whole experience has been incredibly eye opening, and I felt so blessed to be able to care for the mental health of so many people,” said Bradford, “The people I worked with were just so overwhelmed and tired. The physical, tangible things we provide like meals and water are essential, but so is the care for the spirits of these people, especially when many of them have literally lost everything.”

The Salvation Army is currently serving disaster victims in both Florida and Puerto Rico in the wake of Hurricanes Fiona and Ian, serving meals, providing water, aiding in cleanup efforts, and providing social services to help with the long term recovery of those most impacted by the storms. 

For more information about services provided by The Salvation Army, or for more information on becoming an EDS volunteer, CLICK HERE.