Eugene and Velma Gavin peered anxiously at the photographs. Amidst the debris left behind by Hurricane Ian stood their home. Though it had faced the full fury of the storm, the house seemed remarkably unscathed. “Our neighbor took pictures and sent them to us,” said Eugene. The neighbor had said, “Looks like your house is good. Looks like you lost only a few shingles on the front side.” The Gavins felt relieved. Fleeing their Sanibel Island home before the storm meant leaving part of their lives behind. But their relief would prove short-lived. The Gavin family’s local legacy is deep. Eugene’s grandfather came to Captiva in 1917, among the first Black families to settle here. Eugene himself was born on Captiva and spent his hard-working childhood on Sanibel—his grandfather once taught him how to plow a field behind a mule—before joining the U.S. Air Force. Later, after living in Colorado for a time, he landed in Benton Harbor, Michigan where he met Velma. “I chased her until she caught me,” Eugene chuckled. The Gavins moved to Sanibel in 1991. Eugene worked as a plumber with his brother Oscar, then started his own home repair and landscaping business. Velma took a job at Jerry’s Foods where she first learned about FISH, and the neighbors helping neighbors mission struck a chord. “I used to make little angel ornaments out of shells,” said Velma. “We hung them on a Christmas tree at Jerry’s to sell, then I donated the proceeds to FISH.” The Gavins never thought a day might come when they, too, would rely on FISH. While the post-hurricane photos of their home had looked promising, Eugene set about finding a way back for a proper look. The Causeway wasn’t yet repaired, so he and two Sanibel neighbors chartered a boat that dropped them ashore nearby. “I climbed over trees and everything else that had fallen in the road and slid into the yard because there was all kinds of mud,” he recalled. “I saw the windows were tore out. The sliding door looked like it had exploded. All the doors were blown open.” Except for the side facing the street—the only side visible in the photos—Ian had indeed ripped open their house and nearly destroyed it. Furniture, keepsakes, even the tools Eugene needed to run his business had been swept away. “I was really, really lost for words,” said Eugene. The disaster also left a hole in the Gavins’ hearts—a hole that the islands’ unique community spirit, led by FISH, would soon begin to fill.
neighbors still helping neighbors
Velma and Eugene found strength in their faith and in their island neighbors, including FISH. Grasping onto that community spirit, they began the long process of rebuilding. “Thank God the house stood so we could put it back together,” Velma said. “FISH reached out to us with water, ice and food right after we came back. They’ve continued to help us ever since with food, but also with much needed furniture and building supplies. They’ve been very helpful and very, very kind.” Executive Director Maria Espinoza said FISH continues to work with the Gavins to meet their needs. Grant dollars are helping with rebuilding costs. The Gavins make use of FISH’s food pantry when needed. And currently FISH is working to replace the tools Eugene lost to Ian so he can restart his business and restore the family’s finances. “Every neighbor FISH helps is special to us, especially the Gavins,” said Espinoza. “Hurricane Ian really tested us, but our island community passed that test. We’re grateful for the financial and volunteer support that makes it possible for us to rebuild homes and lives. It’s what makes this place and these people so special.” Eugene agrees. FISH—along with local churches, businesses, banks and residents—continue to lead the recovery. “Sanibel really works together,” he said. “It’s always been like that. We rely on each other like family.” The work isn’t done, but the Gavins see a bright future ahead.