By Mike Wright

Published January 3, 2006

Before Aug. 29, chances are few people around these parts had ever heard of Hancock County, Miss.

Though separated by 500 miles, now Citrus and Hancock counties are practically neighbors.

Hancock County, on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, took a direct hit from Hurricane Katrina. A few weeks later, Citrus County organizations and residents began an unprecedented drive to assist with post-hurricane relief.

Tens of thousands of dollars were raised by churches, schools and citizens. Truckloads of clothes, cleaning supplies, food and toys took the long 10-hour drive for distribution.

The effort even resulted in the formation of the Citrus Disaster Response Team, led by John Marmish, executive director of the United Way of Citrus County.

Marmish said he’s not surprised with Citrus County’s response.

“I think everyone had a strong desire to help people who were devastated by the storms,” he said. “Being a caring community that we have, it was just a natural outpouring of coming together for the cause.”

Marmish also said he thinks it helped that Citrus adopted a specific place, and one that actually is quite similar to Citrus County. Hancock is a county of about 48,000 people and officials there say half lost their homes.

The county’s two main cities are Bay St. Louis and Waveland and are similar in size to Crystal River and Inverness. Both Mississippi cities were destroyed and four months after Katrina, the coast is still trying to recover.

“It’s good that we can identify an area and see the results,” Marmish said. “Focusing on one area was something everyone can identify with.”

Lori Allen, a Homosassa woman who took a truckload of Christmas presents to Hancock County 10 days ago, had a more personal interest.

Just a week before Katrina hit, Allen was set to move to Diamondhead, a golf course community in Hancock just off Interstate 10.

Allen, who made her second trip and is planning more, was taken aback when a reporter asked about her commitment.

“Why not? These kids have nothing. These people have nothing, or very little,” she said. “It wasn’t me. It was the community (of Citrus). I was just the middle person.”

Doug Alexander, pastor of The Church Without Walls, who, like Marmish, has led the relief effort, said he, too, is not surprised by the outpouring of support.

“People of Citrus County have their hands on the pulse of God. They know it’s more important to give than receive,” he said. “People know this could happen to Citrus County. You reap what you sow.”