Over the past few days, you must have observed the devastation left in the wake of Hurricane Irma as it barrelled through the Caribbean. As one of the strongest ever recorded, the category five superstorm tore through the islands, making landfall in Barbuda and Cuba and affecting other countries such as Turks and Caicos, the Dominican Republic and Haiti.
The destruction of Barbuda
The destruction left behind rendered the small island of Barbuda almost completely uninhabitable as 95 per cent of its infrastructure was damaged. As the storm continues to move through the Caribbean, it leaves thousands homeless and without power, proper healthcare, food and clean drinking water.
With so many people affected in so many places, you must be wondering what you—just one person—can do to help. Don’t worry, in times like these, every single helping hand counts.
Is There Not A Cause (ITNAC) is a registered, non-profit organization that employs volunteers to help with crises affecting people around the Caribbean. They and their volunteers bring relief to many in times of need. Here are ways you can use ITNAC to help:
Volunteer
You can volunteer to assist ITNAC in seeking and collecting items to send over to countries affected by Hurricane Irma. If you’re a highly motivated person who wants to make a difference, you can sign up on the organization’s website to become a volunteer.
You can help not only with relief for Hurricane Irma but on other projects as well, including many in Trinidad And Tobago.
Donate
Victims of Hurricane Irma, especially those in Barbuda, require the means to rebuild their homes as thousands were left homeless by the disaster. Antigua and Barbuda is a small country, not unlike Trinidad and Tobago, and will need many donations to assist their displaced citizens in securing homes, maintaining hospitals and clinics as well as getting the clean-up efforts underway.
Cash donations can be made to the organizations account so you can contact them through their Facebook Page or website.
If you’d rather not make monetary donations, ITNAC is also taking in supplies that will be sent directly to affected islands. To any of the group’s drop off points listed on their Facebook page, you can drop off:
- Non-perishable food items, such as canned meats, beans and fruit, dry goods like rice and pasta, dehydrated foods and any other non-perishable items.
- Bottled water.
- Clothing, which can be previously owned but must be in reasonable condition.
- Bedding such as mattresses, sheets, blankets, and pillows.
- Sanitary
- Baby supplies including food, formula, and diapers.
Educate
Another way you can help victims of Irma is to educate yourself and others on the crisis that is currently going on. This way you can let others know that they too can help out, and that no gesture or item or sum of money is too small to help. Remember that you can make a difference if you try.
