Following the recent destruction of Hurricane Dorian to the islands of Grand Bahama and Abaco, The Island School has received numerous inquiries as to what can be done and if there are organizations supporting relief efforts..
There are countless individuals, groups and organizations working to provide relief efforts to those affected by Hurricane Dorian. Below is a list of a few organizations who strong reputations for supporting the people of The Bahamas and have been on the ground in Grand Bahama and Abaco. To learn more about these organizations, we encourage you to visit their websites. It is through them that you can obtain information on their past work, ways to give, and all other questions you may have before making a gift of support. In addition, The Government of The Bahamas has provided a list of ways in which you can help.
HeadKnowles (501c3): Established in 2015, HeadKnowles is now handling their third hurricane relief effort. HeadKnowles supports The Bahamas Red Cross and NEMA. They are also partnering with countless groups to organize volunteer efforts, item collection and delivery, victim evacuation and water distribution.
Green Turtle Cay Foundation (501c3): Founded in 1996, the Green Turtle Cay Foundation was formed to benefit the Green Turtle Cay, Abaco community. The Foundation has partnered with more than 50 pilots who continue to fly in and out of Abaco to deliver supplies and volunteers to provide relief efforts in Abaco.
Lyford Cay Foundation (501c3): The Lyford Cay Foundation works to increase educational attainment throughout The Bahamas and believes that this is key to the development of a prosperous, healthy and peaceful Bahamas. The Lyford Cay Foundation has pledged $1 million to ongoing relief efforts, and $25,000 to The Bahamas Red Cross Society for immediate hurricane relief. As Abaco and Grand Bahamas rebuild, the Lyford Cay Foundation will deliver grants to ensure the continued education of children and young adults in areas affected by Hurricane Dorian.
New Providence Community Church: The New Providence Community Church has been acting as a support liaison for numerous NGO’s relief efforts.
World Central Kitchen (501c3): World Central Kitchen was one of the first organizations to reach Abaco following Hurricane Dorian, and was the only to provide fresh meals. The team has been delivering meals to Abaco from their kitchen in Nassau by helicopter, serving 20,000 meals each day. The team also delivered a 220-foot boat, filled with kitchen supplies and ingredients to Grand Bahama, where a team met them and began preparing meals to deliver to shelters and communities across the island.
Global Medic: Global Medic is a Canadian charity that provides short-term, rapid response in the wake of disasters and crisis.
Global Support and Development (501c3): A rapid-response organization that deploys relief teams within hours for disaster response.
HEART 9/11 (501c3): Founded in 2007, Healing Emergency Aid Response Team’s mission is to respond to natural and man-made disasters, rebuild infrastructure and recover by building resiliency for individuals, families and communities. Their search and rescue teams have been on the ground in Abaco and Grand Bahama.
International Medical Corps: The International Medical Corps has been on the ground to provide first responder care and medical training to others responding to the hurricane.
Samaritan’s Purse: Samaritan’s Purse specializes in meeting critical needs for those affected by conflict, disaster, famine and epidemics throughout the world. They have been flying in food, medical supplies and other necessities to those in need throughout Grand Bahama and Abaco.
Team Rubicon: Team Rubicon mobilizes veterans, leveraging their skills, training and experience, to help people prepare, respond and recover from disasters and humanitarian crises. They have launched a large-scale response operation in The Bahamas to support immediate and emerging medical needs in Abaco, and will deploy additional volunteers to provide assistance as more affected islands can be accessed.
Virginia Task Force 1: Developed in 1986 as a domestic and international disaster response resource, sponsored by the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department, Virginia Task Force 1 has around 200 specially-trained career and volunteer fire and rescue personnel. The team began massive search and rescue missions quickly and continue to help.
USAID: The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) deployed a Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) to coordinate with local authorities, humanitarian organizations, the U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Embassy to assess damage, identify humanitarian needs and bring urgent assistance to areas affected by Hurricane Dorian.
YachtAid Global: YachtAid Global provides humanitarian aid, conservation, and disaster response leadership by volunteering yachts and crews to work in the communities that they visit. YachtAid Global has been working with yachts to deliver life-saving care, equipment, and disaster recovery teams that are supporting search and rescue missions.
Odyssey Aviation: Odyssey Aviation is a network of private aviation operations in the U.S. and The Bahamas. They have helped to evacuate thousands of Hurricane Dorian victims and deliver and distribute supplies.
TransIsland Airways: TransIsland Airways is a Bahamian airline, and has devoted its entire fleet of aircraft to aid in relief efforts.
The Island School’s Center for Sustainable Development has supplied solar units to those affected by the storm in Abaco. These units are able to provide immediate power to an island that has been without, allowing phones, computers, radios and emergency equipment to be charged or powered.
Thank you for your concern and drive to help those who have been affected by Hurricane Dorian. If you have questions about the above organizations, we encourage you to reach out to them directly. If you would like to learn more about the solar units we sent over to Abaco, kindly email donations@islandschool.org.