Florida volunteers building resilience
Sol Relief volunteers paint new shutters as part of the Hurricane Dorian rebuilding effort on Green Turtle Cay
Those who follow our newsletter will remember the series of stories we did on Hurricane Dorian’s destruction in the Bahamas. Now, 22 months after Dorian hit as a Category 5 storm that devastated parts of the Abaco Islands, Sol Relief is still hard at work in its long-term recovery efforts in the Bahamas. This 501 (c)(3) nonprofit, based in St. Petersburg, provides aviation for disaster relief and humanitarian aid.
Although their main focus is providing relief and immediate needs assessment following a disaster, the Sol Relief team has recently found themselves evolving into long-term recovery and rebuilding efforts to support the Bahamian community and help build resilience. Working with a dedicated team of locals, nonprofit partners, and generous donors, Sol Relief has been able to help with the repair and construction of 167 homes mainly in the areas of Marsh Harbor and Green Turtle Cay. From April 25-May 8, the Sol Relief team and a group of exceptional St. Pete volunteers completed a 2-week rebuilding trip where they completed punch list items and built and painted hurricane shutters for the 4 homes that they built from the ground up with their team of local contractors.
Sol Relief volunteers put the finishing touches on a newly built house.
In addition to the home rebuilding efforts in Marsh Harbor and Green Turtle Cay, Sol Relief has also partnered with the Bahamian Government’s Disaster Reconstruction Authority and other nonprofit partners to design a 10,000 square foot hurricane shelter in Central Abaco. This will be the first and only dedicated hurricane shelter on the island of Grand Abaco. The structure will be built to sustain 180 mph winds and have an industrial kitchen to feed over 800 people in an emergency. Along with serving as a hurricane shelter, this facility is also intended to double as a community center and safe gathering place that will showcase a basketball court, organic garden, and playground.
As Sol Relief continues in their long-term recovery efforts, they are inspired daily by the resiliency of the Bahamian community and have learned much from their hard work and perseverance post Hurricane Dorian. Moving forward, and especially now that we’re in the 2021 hurricane season, Sol Relief is in need of funds to support their operating costs and ensure that they are ready to rock when a disaster strikes. They’ve recently launched a new membership campaign to help. To become a member today, visit https://www.solrelief.org/become-a-member, or you can simply make a donation at https://www.solrelief.org/donate-today. As always, your help and support goes to a great cause and is greatly appreciated!
LMA Newsletter of 7-12-21
