How to Help After Hurricane Dorian

The footage coming out of the Bahamas after Hurricane Dorian is sobering. Bahamian citizens are asking for help even as the storm continues to batter the islands, and communities up and down the United States’ east coast are scrambling to prepare for impact. In social media posts about the destruction, we keep seeing one question asked over and over: “What can we do to help?”

If you want to contribute to Hurricane Dorian relief efforts, here are some options for you:

Support the First Responders

Some major nonprofits have already deployed help to the Bahamas, and many others are preparing to offer relief in the Bahamas and the United States. The American Red Cross is, as usual, one of the first to arrive on the scene, and they’re asking for donations to help. You can make a gift here. The International Medical Corps is also preparing to get to the Bahamas quickly, bringing much-needed supplies and offering healthcare to residents. You can support their efforts here. You can also support Heart to Heart International, which is preparing to deploy relief efforts across areas in the US affected by Dorian and is working with partners to administer aid in the Bahamas. You can support them here.

Find the Helpers

No matter how devastating a storm is, there are always people waiting to help. Already, several nonprofits in our area (in Central Florida) are preparing to shuttle food, medicine, building materials, and other supplies to the Bahamas. If you want to support a smaller nonprofit, here are some great options.

• AGAPE Flights is a small faith-based organization from Florida that works with missionaries already stationed in the Caribbean. They’re currently seeking financial support and supplies including hygiene products, non-perishable foods, paper and cleaning supplies, first-aid supplies, and more. You can learn more about what supplies are most in demand here. AGAPE Flights is staffed in part by many volunteer pilots who can fly supplies directly to where they are needed most.
• SOL Relief Aviation is another Florida-based organization that is flying to the rescue. Like AGAPE Flights, they have a base of volunteer pilots who can fly supplies into the Bahamas, and their small aircraft can get in and out of the area more easily than large planes. They’re collecting financial gifts as well as much-needed supplies; you can view their list of needed supplies, links to donation forms, and more information on this page.
• ALAN (American Logistics Aid Network) is preparing to distribute supplies in areas affected by Dorian once it makes landfall in the United States. You can support them by donating financially here or keeping an eye on their requests here.
• Hope Town Volunteer Fire & Rescue is a Bahamas-based fire and rescue organization that is a “primary facilitator of relief, cleanup, and rebuilding of Hope Town and Elbow Cay.” You can donate directly to their efforts here.
• Global Giving’s Disaster Recovery Network “Island Spirit Fund” is dedicated exclusively to helping communities recover from hurricanes. They’re working toward raising $10,000 for the cause. You can learn more and donate here, or you can donate directly to their disaster relief efforts in the Bahamas.
• Convoy of Hope is an international humanitarian relief organization that focuses, in part, on disaster relief. You can donate financially or with Amazon!
• Save the Children is working to provide safety for children in the southeast United States. They’re raising money to provide assistance to vulnerable children and their families in affected areas. You can donate here!
• Team Rubicon is an international organization dedicated to disaster response, and they’re actively raising money for Hurricane Dorian relief. They deploy volunteers to disaster-stricken areas where they’ll provide relief to those who need it most. Learn more about their Hurricane Dorian preparedness plan (and donate!) right over here.
• The International Medical Corps is providing much-needed medical devices and supplies to Puerto Rico, the Bahamas, and States affected by Hurricane Dorian. You can read more about their response to Hurricane Dorian here, or you can go immediately to their donation page.

Give People a Place to Stay

Airbnb has launched their “Open Homes Program” and are offering free housing to people displaced by Hurricane Dorian and to disaster relief workers who are involved in recovery. If you’re interested in opening your home to people who need a safe place to stay (or if you know someone who needs a place to stay), check out this Airbnb page.

Keep an Eye on This Page for Updates

As more and more nonprofits mobilize to send relief, supplies, and aid to those affected by Hurricane Dorian, we’ll update this list.