Hurricane Dorian may not have hit the Miami/Fort Lauderdale area, but people who live in South Florida are still hurting today for their neighbors to east. Parts of the Bahamas are only about 95 miles from the Southeast Florida coast. For many who grew up in South Florida, the Bahamas feels like an extension of the Sunshine State. Hop on a plane and you can be there in just about 30 minutes. Take a boat and you can be there in just a few hours. So, while south Florida may have been spared a direct hit, residents are in full hurricane help mode with thousands of people doing what they can today to lend a hand, a dollar or some supplies to the Bahamian people impacted by the storm. As Roger Moore, owner of Nautical Ventures Marine Superstore in Dania Beach, Florida put it, “Thank God it wasn’t us, now what can we do to help them.” (Watch more from him above)
The Miami Herald’s Fabiola Santiago adds:
They’re a sister island chain to Florida, linked by history, geography, business, tourism — plus family ties and heritage.
Yes, a whole lot of partying, a whole lot of profiting has gone on between us, too.
And now, the people of the Bahamas need us.
Essentials such as toiletries, batteries, waters, non-perishable food and more are being gathered at fire stations, warehouses, stores, and local businesses. It will then be shipped to those in need.
There are also those traveling to the islands to lend their time, such as Jose Andres’ and those who are helping out with his World Central Kitchen. They have reportedly sent thousands of meals to Abaco already today.
On our way to Abaco !@WCKitchen #ChefsForBahamas https://t.co/2tNACPcl05
— Chef José Andrés 🕊️🥘🍳 (@chefjoseandres) September 4, 2019
If you aren’t able to donate your time or supplies, here are some other ways you can help:
Bahamian Prime Minister Hubert Minnis recommended people donate to the Salvation Army saying that they work alongside the government’s National Emergency Management Agency.
Business Insider recommends The Bahamas Red Cross saying, the organization “has over 200 volunteers on the islands impacted most by Dorian. Stephen McAndrew, the deputy director for the Americas of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, said that shelter materials, food, water, and medicine are most urgent.”
And the New York Times also writes that “Charity Navigator offers this list of reputable charities that are working in the Bahamas.”