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Hurricane Recovery Team

Habitat for Humanity of Lee and Hendry Counties

Daniela Rambhajan began working in hurricane recovery as a disaster case manager with Lee County Human and Veteran Services after Hurricane Irma. Today, as the director of family services for Habitat for Humanity of Lee and Hendry Counties’ Hurricane Recovery Team, she’s helping families build resilience after Hurricane Ian. Following the mission of social work, which is enhancing human well-being and helping to meet basic human needs, Rambhajan also understands the value of empowerment.

“People are more engaged in rehabilitation and recovery when they feel empowered. In social work, we use the term ‘person-centered’ approach, which is based on the concept that people are inherently capable of making decisions regarding their recovery even if their circumstances make this particularly challenging,” she says. “Successfully employing a person-centered approach requires empathy and the ability to tailor a person’s recovery efforts to their strengths. Every day I speak with survivors of Hurricane Ian and try to understand their values, styles and individual needs to help empower them to take their first steps toward recovery.”

Rambhajan volunteers with the Family Initiative and with the Unmet Needs Long-Term Recovery Group. She has previously interned at Children’s Advocacy Center of SWFL and with the Immokalee Friendship House.