RUSKIN, Fla. — After back-to-back hurricanes, communities across Tampa Bay are busy cleaning up to try and get back to normal.

The weather also put a lot of plans on hold including the 100th year celebration for Ruskin Methodist Church.

When Pastor Tom Emigh walked into the church after Hurricane Helene, for the first few moments, despair overwhelmed him.

“Maybe 30 seconds or so, I let myself wallow in a little bit of self-pity,” he said. “And then I felt God say, 'Tom, shut up and get busy.'”

Emigh is not the only one that took that mindset.

Without him asking, Sharon Armour arrived first thing in the morning after Helene.

With her and other volunteers’ assistance, the journey to restoration began.

“Once the pews are away, then the rug is brought up, and we’re Cloroxing the cement,” Armour said.  

Volunteers jokingly called Armour "The Clorox Queen," as they said she hit just about every surface with the cleaning product.

When asking Armour why she insisted on helping, she thinks of her friend and mentee, Janet. “She loved this church, in particular, the pastor,” she said. “He would come by and visit her every week.”

Janet has down syndrome.

For years, Armour said she struggled to find the right church home for the two of them.

Janet died in July, but the kindness the pastor and other church members showed Janet is why Armour insists on helping.

“She was so proud of the fact that she went to church, and like I said, she loved him, but that’s what brought me here that day,” she said.  

This is not the 100 year anniversary Emigh wanted for the church, but seeing the dedication and desire from the community to rebuild gives him hope. 

There’s still a lot of work to do, but the pastor is hopeful they’ll be able to hold a proper 100 year celebration in December, and that many of the repairs needed will be finished by Easter.