Bahamas: What are you doing to help?

We donated to HeadKnowles (spelling?) an organization that we learned about several years ago after a previous hurricane. What DH likes most is that if you donate you can request a list of where, exactly, the money goes.

We have a friend with a house on Abaco he connected me up with a GoFundMe for his local fire department - they’ve already collected over 300K! I’ve also donated to Jose Andres’ charity, World Central Kitchen. He’s an amazing man and truly walks the walk.

World Central Kitchen and Red Cross. I cannot imagine what those people are going through, Heartbreaking!

I donate through the Salvation Army. I always do, in memory of my grandfather who told us countless times about how they helped him during the war, even though he is the most unreligous man I knew.

I mentioned to dh yesterday that if everyone who had money hidden there would donate even just .5% of what they have squirreled away, they would have the place rebuilt in months.

Whats msf??

Cool... i like that.. thanks

American Red Cross (earmarked for Bahamas) and World Central Kitchen

Medicine sans frontiers/ Doctors Without Borders.

I also give to Presbyterian disaster fund.. they partner with the local churches and groups to be sure the aid is getting to the right people in the right place.. and is not about "believe in our god then we will help".. it is just help and long term recovery focus as well as immediate needs.

So far we've donated to World Central Kitchen, Direct Relief, and The Humane Society of Grand Bahamas.

I agree and my first instinct is to donate money that can then be used for whatever is actually needed. However in our local case here - we have 30-50 families that have come here as refugees from the Bahamas with just the clothes on their backs. There is a specific wish list of items requested and I feel okay donating from that list. Since they are being housed at a local camp, there isn't a transportation cost (I mean it has to get from the collection point to the camp but that has been donated also - it's not like stuff needs to be flown or sent by sea to the Bahamas) and the local economy isn't a factor. And there are volunteers here for sorting and dealing with the donations.

Perhaps I'm wrong, perhaps money would still be the best answer but...

I don't think you're wrong at all in this situation. Sometimes it is definitely quicker to donate items that are requested, especially when there are people right in your backyard that need basic things right now. When the fires decimated Fort Mac a couple years back, there were hundreds of people displaced with nothing and essentials were needed within a couple of hours. People on the ground were quick to respond, just as in your case, and it meant a great deal to those who had lost so much to know people knew they were hurting.