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Providence Family Life Center: Building Resilience, Restoring Lives

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Founded in 2008 with a vision to restore dignity and well-being, Providence Family Life Center (PFLC) began by providing essential community support—meals, clothing, mentorship, and vital resource referrals. In 2016, Antoinette and Daniel combined their expertise, relocating PFLC to Southwest Florida.

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Recognizing the urgent needs of their new community, they conducted a thorough needs assessment, revealing critical gaps in mental health and housing. PFLC focused on disability application assistance, aiding vulnerable populations, including veterans and children with disabilities, to access essential services. To address the housing crisis, they renovated four homes, providing transitional housing for seniors.

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Hurricane Irma in 2017 sparked Antoinette's research into the mental health impact of disasters on vulnerable populations, culminating in her doctoral study. When Hurricane Ian devastated Lee County in 2022, PFLC was called to action.

Within three days, PFLC teams were deployed to public and medical shelters, witnessing the profound trauma of survivors. They provided disaster case management to more than 250 individuals, coordinating resources, facilitating support groups, and managing reconstruction projects.

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In a climate of increasing extreme weather events, PFLC remains a hyper-local agency dedicated to disaster recovery. We empower individuals and communities with disaster education, preparedness skills, and trauma-informed support, ensuring they recover stronger and more resilient.