The Seafarers’ House at Port Everglades is open throughout the year as a safe, welcoming place where mariners can connect with their communities and families, seek guidance and get emergency help if needed. Company Overview
A tradition of nearly 200 years, active in hundreds of ports worldwide reached Florida in 1988. It was then that a seminary intern from Spain joined forces with a Coral Gables attorney and the Episcopal Bishop of Southeast Florida to start new chaplaincy amid rapid maritime industry growth in South Florida. Seafarers’ House began with a 400 sq ft hospitality center that opened at Port Everglades in 1989. Today, the 4,300 sq ft facility hosts over 100,000 crew members each year and the need for our services continues to grow. TODAY’S SEAFARERS
Most shipping companies fly foreign flags and recruit their crew from global labor markets. By global standards, these are valuable jobs that pay in a stable currency (i.e., US dollar). These hardworking men and women leave their families behind for up to a year at a time in order to support them. Cargo crew are especially invisible to the societies that they serve, leaving them sometimes vulnerable to forms of exploitation that only port chaplains see. Over 95% of everything we use reaches us by ship, but the crews who travel the world's oceans, contending with harsh weather, loneliness and increasingly with piracy issues in order to support not only their families but also our way of life are often forgotten. As a member of an international network of sister centers, shipvisitors, and staff, Seafarers' House can assist mariners through our connections with sister agencies as well as by providing local assistance in many ways both large and small. Description
Seafarers’ House is open throughout the year as a safe, friendly place where mariners can connect to their families, relax, ask questions about the community, and get emergency help if needed. We are proud to provide both practical and emergency assistance and support for seafarers in need. General Information
OUR SERVICES
When mariners arrive at our port, they may have little shore time to contact love ones, go shopping or relax. Our convenient center is inside the port and readily acccessible for those who want to connect with loved ones by phone or email through the free wi-fi service available. And because life so far from home is hard, there is often counseling to do after the caller hangs up. Clergy from a range of faith traditions are available through our Pastoral Care Team. The maritime ministry tradition is Christian founded, but we strive to honor the religious faiths of all who visit us. Our small store sells everything from soap to foreign newspapers. Free van service is available and there is a secure, reliable system for transferring hard-earned cash back home to the loved ones seafarers support. FUNDING SOURCES
Funding is derived from a blended stream of fee-based client services, special fundraising events, charitable gifts and grants. Additional support is needed to expand operations in a rapidly growing Port Everglades, so that visiting mariners and hard-working members of our local port community can continue to enjoy the same help contacting their families and a place of respite when they find themselves in need. VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
Each year, hundreds of people volunteer with Seafarers’ House. Some board cargo ships to welcome newly arriving crew. Clerical help is always needed and volunteers help raise funds for Seafarers’ House through a series of special events. We ask volunteers for a few hours at least once a month, but some come several times a week. We offer them a chance to meet wonderful people from all over the world, and they tell us that they receive much more than they give.
