It’s been 26 days since Hurricane Dorian decimated parts of the Bahamas archipelago. The most powerful hurricane to ever strike the island hovered over the country for more than 48 hours – unfathomable. Thankfully we were spared from Dorian’s destruction this time around but our neighbors in the beautiful Bahamas were not as lucky. In an effort to help out and do some good, the Fishies banded together and collected a massive pile of donations – including pet food, baby supplies, tarps and medical supplies.
After doing some research on different relief organizations, our team made the decision to donate via Global Empowerment Mission (GEM) and B Strong, the non-profit founded by serial entrepreneur and former Real Housewives of New York star, Bethenny Frankel.
GEM and B Strong were some of the first on-the-ground relief coming into the Bahamas via barges and private planes from Miami. Although there are tons of local groups coordinating collections, Bethenny’s group seems to be the best at getting relief to where it’s most needed and into the right hands and not muddled through any bureaucratic B.S.
GEM and B Strong have three warehouses throughout Miami and Broward County. As of September 18, they’ve delivered 196,150 lbs of supplies, evacuated 859 people through their Fly Tropic and Delta partnership, supplied 7 on the ground clinics and coordinated a former Coast Guard cutter ship with 4 tons of aid.
While the aid and monetary donations have been pouring in, it’s imperative that we do not forget the people of the Bahamas as the weeks pass on. Supplies will be needed for months on end. Moving forward, the most needed donations will be supplies for rebuilding – plywood, tools, furniture, etc. I encourage you to check out the full list of donations needed on GEM’s website.
A special shout out to my fellow Fishes and to our head honcho, Lorne Fisher for enthusiastically supporting my efforts to help our beautiful island neighbors in the Bahamas.
