Story

On September 28, 2022, our community was greatly impacted by the devastation of Hurricane Ian. Words do not describe the devastation. Our property sustained winds of over 190 mph for many hours. Although considered a category 4, we experienced the winds of nearly a category 5 hurricane. Moreover, the size of the storm impacted most of the state, making this a historically devastating storm. Here at Wintergarden, the storm blew off part of our roof and as a result the rain poured into our sanctuary for 15 hours making our sanctuary uninhabitable. Ian also decimated our food forest and did significant damage to our gardens and food pantry. Because of the damage to the sanctuary we worshiped outside under a tent for 10 months and yet we continued to feed people in our community and in March of 2023 we began to host work teams coming to help rebuild. 

Since March 2023, we have been hosting mission teams to help work and rebuild churches, non-profits, and homes. Last year was our first year doing long-term disaster recovery work. Our mission teams have worked on debris removal, muck outs, painting projects, drywall, ceiling work, and more. In 2023 we were blessed by 210 volunteers who served a total of 8,477 hours in our community at 26 sites. Throughout 2024, we have continued to welcome volunteers who continue to serve in our community and work on homes that had significant damage from Hurricane Ian.

On our property, all our buildings are fully restored and improved in the process, but the gardens and food forest are still work in progress. Our new sanctuary is lovely and even has a labyrinth! The kitchen is larger now with industrial equipment, including an ice machine – vital for working in the hot Florida sun. Throughout the rebuilding we remained determined to serve our community. We look forward to continuing in the efforts to help homeowners  rebuild their homes and lives in Charlotte county.

God continues to do amazing work through Wintergarden Presbyterian Church, enabling us to be a small but mighty church made up of loving, welcoming, and devoted people. Every week, we gather in creative ways for Bible study, worship, prayer, fellowship, and serving our neighbors. We have a weekly food pantry which, post-Hurricane Ian, now serves over 500 families each week! Additionally, our Garden of Eatin’ offers 20 community beds, a food forest, and a sensory garden to help supply food and peace to our neighbors. After Hurricane Ian, we answered God’s call to help our community in new ways and began working in disaster recovery. We have achieved this new mission with the help of partners who provide us with a bunkhouse trailer, construction coordinators, and other assistance. As we continue this journey of faith, we are excited to see how God will work in and through us to share God’s love with everyone we meet. We will continue to embody being “a church of hope, love, and friendship.” We welcome all to join us on this journey.