Gabe Tischler Honored at Annual Governor's Hurricane Conference®

TALLAHASSEE, FL – Gabe Tischler, Emergency Management Specialist, Catholic Charities of Florida, Inc., was the recipient of the Public/Private Achievement Award at a luncheon held today for participants at the 29th Annual Governor's Hurricane Conference®. The award was presented to Tischler for his unwavering dedication and tireless work to support the needs of disaster survivors and his selfless and exceptional contributions from the not-for-profit sector. Gathered at the Rosen Shingle Creek Hotel in Orlando, nine award recipients were honored for their various contributions towards hurricane preparedness, response, recovery and mitigation efforts at both the state and local level.

Nominated by the Florida Commission on Community Service – Volunteer Florida, Tischler is recognized for both his skill and his willing spirit. Tischler has led numerous response and recovery missions across the state, sacrificing both personal comfort and time to serve the victims of disaster. His current work includes guiding a team assisting approximately 200 Washington and Walton county families who have suffered from flooding events in 2013 and 2014. Support has included providing the elderly and persons with disabilities assistance with home repairs from simple jobs to complete rebuilds and replacement of mobile homes. Tischler has also been instrumental in establishing Long Term Recovery Organizations and continues to work closely with local and state emergency management and other faith-based organizations.

Tischler focuses his assistance on both present emergency needs as well as the necessity for preparedness to mitigate the effects of future disasters. In addition to helping those directly affected, he has provided training for current and new emergency response staff and volunteers in the field. He has successfully obtained several grants to support recovery operations and help victims of disaster cover repair costs, pooled resources from among various response groups, and coordinated cooperative efforts of faith-based and governmental agencies.

Humbled by the recognition, Tischler states, "It is with gratitude that I accept this award, and I extend my thanks to the leadership of the Florida Catholic Conference, the members of Catholic Charities of Florida, and all of our partner agencies. The teamwork and mutual support that all groups provide is what makes our work possible."

In partnership with the Florida Catholic Conference, Catholic Charities of Florida, Inc. serves, advocates for, and empowers vulnerable populations by increasing their ability to prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters. Recognizing that disasters happen locally and affect communities and individuals alike, efforts are focused on building human capacity and calling the community to action.

The Governor's Hurricane Conference® is the nation's largest forum focusing on hurricane planning, preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation. More information can be found at: http://flghc.org/.