Editor’s note: For the latest updates on Beryl relief efforts, visit https://caribbeancompass.com/hurricane-beryl
The Grenadines Initiative, a charity registered in Canada to provide social support to the Windward Islands, is participating in Beryl disaster relief throughout the Grenadines.
In a letter to members, executive director Glen Herbert notes that the immediate needs continue to be food, water, shelter, and building materials.
He adds that the Grenadines Initiative is accepting donations to help with relief efforts, particularly on Carriacou, Union Island and Mayreau, and working with local organizations and volunteers to deliver supplies and support. They include Rise Up Bequia, Action Bequia, the Community Foundation for SVG, and others. “We will pool our efforts and resources,” he says, to ensure that the response is efficient and helps as many families as possible.
The Grenadines Initiative is accepting donations to support the relief effort. Those giving in Canada can donate online through Canada Helps (https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/the-bequia-mission/).
In the US, donations can be sent by Zelle to the Friends of the Grenadines Initiative at lsaganharrier@gmail.com, or by PayPal to the Friends of the Grenadines Initiative at stardustbequia@gmail.com.
While the situation remains serious, and will for some time, Herbert notes that “we are moved by the response. The spirit of the island remains undimmed.” Volunteers mobilized immediately to remove debris, cut trees, and clear brush to make the roads and paths viable. Others have offered their generators and solar panels to charge phones, knowing that communication and connection are so important. As services have stabilised, that effort has moved into shoring up infrastructure, repairing homes, and in some cases, building new homes.
For more on the work of the Grenadines Initiative see grenadinesinitiative.ca/. You can reach Glen Herbert at glen.herbert@grenadinesinitiative.org.
