Hi,

My name is Alex Goldhill.

I was born and raised in Bayaleau, Carriacou, where my family and friends live.

The islands of Carriacou and Petite Martinique are home to a vibrant community of boatbuilders, fishermen, artists, and business owners. This community raised, taught, and inspired me to become a boatbuilder and sailor. The community is a profound part of my story and the stories of so many.

On July 1st, 2024, Hurricane Beryl increased from a tropical storm to a category 4 hurricane, virtually "flattening" Carriacou, destroying or damaging 95% of homes, and devastating our schools and businesses. It will take years to rebuild; this is only the first step.

My family and I are fortunate enough to be able to afford the tools and materials needed to keep the rain out, but many in the community are living in shelters with no access to means of repairing their homes and restoring their livelihoods.

I plan to fly to Carriacou on July 20th with supplies to help my community begin rebuilding its homes. I'm arranging a shipment of battery-powered tools, boat repair supplies, and a solar panel kit that can charge tools and a small refrigerator. Depending on how long it takes for Carriacou to restore power to individual homes, this solar panel kit would be a proof of concept for an initiative to get more solar units for individual homes.

This isn't broad-sweeping aid; it is a small fund to help my immediate community get the tools they need to put a roof over their head, repair boats - thereby restoring livelihoods, and begin to assess what it looks like to rebuild a more resilient Carriacou.

Whatever you can do is appreciated and will go directly towards ordering supplies that will allow us to get to work.

Alex Goldhill