Hurricane Irma Relief Fund

When we sent our last report, initial relief efforts were underway for Hurricane Irma in the Caribbean and in Florida. Unfortunately, several days after our update, Hurricane Maria swept through the Caribbean and caused widespread damage. We have been working around the clock since these storms to connect and coordinate relief efforts with local organizations on the ground.

Over the last month, we supported more than a dozen vetted partners in communities affected by Hurricane Irma in Florida, the British and US Virgin Islands, Barbuda, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico. The initial cleanup and relief efforts are transitioning to rebuilding and longer-term recovery.  Your donations are helping by:

• Providing emergency housing, food, clothing, and supplies in Barbuda. The Barbuda Recovery & Conservation Trust, with support from the Waitt Institute and local government officials in Barbuda, is supporting islanders and funding local relief efforts and livelihoods after Hurricane Irma destroyed 90% of the island’s infrastructure.
• Rebuilding the only high school in Barbuda. The Antigua & Barbuda Student Association USA is working to rebuild the island’s only secondary school, which was destroyed in the storm. This will be an important milestone in recovery efforts, particularly for the children of Barbuda.
• Assisting with debris removal in Florida. IsraAid sent teams to Florida to assist families with clean up efforts immediately after the storm as well as to provide emergency relief supplies.
• Buying much-needed supplies and hygiene kits in Florida. Fishing for Families in Need has purchased and distributed 2,000 hygiene and emergency supply kits to families in South Florida and the Florida Keys.
• Purchasing necessary short- and longer-term relief items such as food, water, baby items in the Virgin Islands. Fishing for Families in Need is also working in the Virgin Islands to purchase relief materials from local vendors, meaning that your donation not only provides emergency relief, it also helps stimulate the local market and build economic momentum during this critical recovery period.
• Supporting local rebuilding efforts in St John. Sisterhood Agenda is working on rebuilding and repairing buildings damaged by the storm.
• Rebuilding a Montessori school in St. Croix. Although St. Croix was spared the worst of Hurricane Irma, Hurricane Maria caused significant damage and residents are rebuilding and recovering from damage caused by both storms. St Croix Foundation for Community Development is working to rebuild the St. Croix Montessori School, which serves students ages 2-12. This will help students get back to school and will serve as a beacon of light, pride, and hope for the island.

As a reminder, your donation to the Hurricane Irma Fund will be used to support relief and recovery efforts in communities affected by Hurricane Irma. In regions where Hurricane Maria and Irma both caused damage, we will coordinate funding from our Puerto Rico and Caribbean Hurricane Relief Fund to ensure that we can maximize the impact on the ground for the swiftest recovery.

Thank you for your support! We will continue to update you on how funds have been used.