Barbuda Hurricane Relief Fund
Donation protected
We are Barbudans living in Toronto, devastated by the destruction caused by Hurricane Irma on Tuesday September 5, 2017. We are kindly appealing for your support towards immediate relief efforts for all of those living in Barbuda. The island is likely to be impacted by two storms currently on track towards the island, yet our families are still dealing with the immediate shock of losing everything they have.
We urgently need your support and assistance to help Barbudans regain their dignity and rebuild their lives.
As you are aware, on Tuesday September 5th, 2017 Hurricane Irma hit the small island of Barbuda population approximately 1800, the sister-island of Antigua. The impact was completely devastating. As the Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda reported to local and international media, everyone is now homeless, with 90% of infrastructure destroyed. Prior to the Prime Minister’s arrival in Barbuda on Wednesday September 6, there was absolutely no communication with the island. We could only imagine the level of devastation up until that point, and learned at approximately 4pm on Wednesday that it was worse than we could have even imagined.
UPDATE – MONDAY SEPTEMBER 11 - 9:00 AM:
THE OFFICE OF CONSULATE GENERAL OF ANTIGUA & BARBUDA HERE IN TORONTO LOCATED AT 60 ST. CLAIR AVENUE EAST, TORONTO, ON (416-961-3143) IS NOW ACCEPTING CANNED FOOD ITEMS AND NON-PERISHABLE FOOD ITEMS. OTHER ITEMS OF NEED ARE TOILETRIES, BABY FOOD AND FORMULA, BABY DIAPERS/WIPES. THE FIRST SHIPMENT OF GOOD WILL BE SENT ON SEPTEMBER 23RD
We are in constant communication with people in Antigua who are chiefly responsible for relief efforts. We are receiving names of those most affected, as to notify their immediate family overseas. We are also in constant contact with people who will now go back and forth from Antigua and Barbuda to deliver supplies. Those traveling from Antigua are our immediate family members.
We have initiated communication with West Jet and Air Canada to request their support to deliver supplies from Canada in the coming days.
We are in direct communication with UN Women – Multi-Country Office for the Caribbean, who is leading the efforts to send DIGNITY AND HYGIENE KITS to Antigua, to be directly distributed to Barbudans. These kits will include women's and men’s basic care items such as underwear, pads and tampons, simple clothing, over the counter drugs, and flashlights. We are also liaising to provide pampers and formula and other items for children. We would like to make direct contributions towards purchasing these kits. UN Women is also interested in providing psycho-social supports to the people of Barbuda dealing with this devastation.
We secured the agreement of the Directorate of Gender Affairs in Antigua to house the Dignity and Hygiene Kits for direct distribution to Barbudans at the Directorate's Crisis Centre. The phone number for the Crisis Centre is 1-268-463-5555. The Directorate will support in the delivery of these urgently needed supplies.
We are preparing ourselves to receive Barbudans in our homes in Toronto, as are our family members in New York and other parts of North America. We are poised to provide safe housing here, until our family members are comfortable and ready enough to make important decisions on how they will choose to rebuild. As we are appealing for them to be evacuated, we anticipate a need for autumn and winter clothing, back to school supplies, and other items.
WHERE YOUR HELP WILL GO:
We now know that there is an immediate need for the following (UPDATED)
- Shoes and clothing of all sizes for men, women and children
- Pampers and wipes of all sizes (infant and adult)
- Infant formula
- Toiletries and other basic care items (all enclosed within UN Women’s KITS, and also to be sourced in Antigua)
- Sheets, blankets and pillows
- Towels
Your support will go towards resources purchased in Antigua, in neighbouring islands, and in Canada to meet the immediate needs of the people of Barbuda. After we have addressed immediate needs, your support will go towards direct distribution to the people of Barbuda for rebuilding efforts. We will absolutely provide detailed information on this page as to how we will continue to ensure all funds go directly to those in needs.
If you live in the Greater Toronto Area, and you would prefer to directly donate supplies, you may contact us to coordinate drop offs:
GTA West: Evron Joseph – [phone redacted]
GTA East: Tamara Huggins – [phone redacted]
THANK YOU for keeping Barbuda in your thoughts and prayers. As this storm and others to follow move to bigger islands, and bigger countries, it will take nothing for “our tiny paradise” of 1800 people to be forgotten. We appreciate each and every dollar, and thank you from the bottom of our hearts for helping Barbudans to rebuild.
We urgently need your support and assistance to help Barbudans regain their dignity and rebuild their lives.
As you are aware, on Tuesday September 5th, 2017 Hurricane Irma hit the small island of Barbuda population approximately 1800, the sister-island of Antigua. The impact was completely devastating. As the Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda reported to local and international media, everyone is now homeless, with 90% of infrastructure destroyed. Prior to the Prime Minister’s arrival in Barbuda on Wednesday September 6, there was absolutely no communication with the island. We could only imagine the level of devastation up until that point, and learned at approximately 4pm on Wednesday that it was worse than we could have even imagined.
UPDATE – MONDAY SEPTEMBER 11 - 9:00 AM:
THE OFFICE OF CONSULATE GENERAL OF ANTIGUA & BARBUDA HERE IN TORONTO LOCATED AT 60 ST. CLAIR AVENUE EAST, TORONTO, ON (416-961-3143) IS NOW ACCEPTING CANNED FOOD ITEMS AND NON-PERISHABLE FOOD ITEMS. OTHER ITEMS OF NEED ARE TOILETRIES, BABY FOOD AND FORMULA, BABY DIAPERS/WIPES. THE FIRST SHIPMENT OF GOOD WILL BE SENT ON SEPTEMBER 23RD
We are in constant communication with people in Antigua who are chiefly responsible for relief efforts. We are receiving names of those most affected, as to notify their immediate family overseas. We are also in constant contact with people who will now go back and forth from Antigua and Barbuda to deliver supplies. Those traveling from Antigua are our immediate family members.
We have initiated communication with West Jet and Air Canada to request their support to deliver supplies from Canada in the coming days.
We are in direct communication with UN Women – Multi-Country Office for the Caribbean, who is leading the efforts to send DIGNITY AND HYGIENE KITS to Antigua, to be directly distributed to Barbudans. These kits will include women's and men’s basic care items such as underwear, pads and tampons, simple clothing, over the counter drugs, and flashlights. We are also liaising to provide pampers and formula and other items for children. We would like to make direct contributions towards purchasing these kits. UN Women is also interested in providing psycho-social supports to the people of Barbuda dealing with this devastation.
We secured the agreement of the Directorate of Gender Affairs in Antigua to house the Dignity and Hygiene Kits for direct distribution to Barbudans at the Directorate's Crisis Centre. The phone number for the Crisis Centre is 1-268-463-5555. The Directorate will support in the delivery of these urgently needed supplies.
We are preparing ourselves to receive Barbudans in our homes in Toronto, as are our family members in New York and other parts of North America. We are poised to provide safe housing here, until our family members are comfortable and ready enough to make important decisions on how they will choose to rebuild. As we are appealing for them to be evacuated, we anticipate a need for autumn and winter clothing, back to school supplies, and other items.
WHERE YOUR HELP WILL GO:
We now know that there is an immediate need for the following (UPDATED)
- Shoes and clothing of all sizes for men, women and children
- Pampers and wipes of all sizes (infant and adult)
- Infant formula
- Toiletries and other basic care items (all enclosed within UN Women’s KITS, and also to be sourced in Antigua)
- Sheets, blankets and pillows
- Towels
Your support will go towards resources purchased in Antigua, in neighbouring islands, and in Canada to meet the immediate needs of the people of Barbuda. After we have addressed immediate needs, your support will go towards direct distribution to the people of Barbuda for rebuilding efforts. We will absolutely provide detailed information on this page as to how we will continue to ensure all funds go directly to those in needs.
If you live in the Greater Toronto Area, and you would prefer to directly donate supplies, you may contact us to coordinate drop offs:
GTA West: Evron Joseph – [phone redacted]
GTA East: Tamara Huggins – [phone redacted]
THANK YOU for keeping Barbuda in your thoughts and prayers. As this storm and others to follow move to bigger islands, and bigger countries, it will take nothing for “our tiny paradise” of 1800 people to be forgotten. We appreciate each and every dollar, and thank you from the bottom of our hearts for helping Barbudans to rebuild.
Organizer
Evron JOseph
Organizer
Etobicoke, ON
