Celebrities and Nonprofits are Joining Forces to Help the Bahamas Recover

Flying in to Grand Bahama Island with his jet loaded with emergency supplies and a team of Scientology Volunteer Ministers, John Travolta is the latest celebrity to draw attention to the desperate straights of post-Dorian Bahamas.

An aerial view of houses in the Bahamas from a Coast Guard Elizabeth City C-130 aircraft after Hurricane Dorian shifts north Sept. 3, 2019. Hurricane Dorian made landfall Saturday and intensified into Sunday. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Adam Stanton/Released)
An aerial view of houses in the Bahamas from a Coast Guard Elizabeth City C-130 aircraft after Hurricane Dorian shifts north Sept. 3, 2019. Hurricane Dorian made landfall Saturday and intensified into Sunday. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Adam Stanton/Released)
What do Rihanna, John Travolta and Tyler Perry have in common with Team Rubicon, Mercy Corps, World Central Kitchen and the Scientology Volunteer Ministers? They are all out for the Bahamas.[/tweetit]

For two days straight, Hurricane Dorian sat on Grand Bahama. Its 185-mph winds, disintegrating entire homes—an estimated 13,000 were destroyed throughout the Bahamas. “We are in the midst of a historic tragedy,” said Bahamas Prime Minister Hubert Minnis. It was the strongest storm ever to hit the Bahamas and tied the record for the strongest Atlantic storm ever to touch land.

The storm has created havoc with the primary source of livelihood of those living on Grand Bahama Island, which ordinarily relies on tourism for 60 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP) and employs about half the Bahamian workforce.

john-travolta-instagram
Travolta joins an impressive team of celebrities who are supporting the relief effort:

Tyler Perry’s personal seaplane, located in Nassau, has made at least two trips, delivering water, sleeping bags and toiletries to areas hardest hit by the hurricane, according to TMZ.

tyler-perry-instagram“To all the incredible people of the Bahamas who have welcomed me and called me an adoptive son, I want you to know that I am watching closely, and as soon as I can, I will be there to do whatever I can to help you rebuild stronger and better,” he captioned an Instagram post.

The rapper Ludacris has donated some $100,000 from his annual LudaDay Weekend to a hurricane relief fund.


rihanna-tweetRihanna tweeted. “You are in our prayers and @ClaraLionelFdn is already figuring out how best we can help!”


Through his Let Love Rule Foundation, Kravitz plans to send boats with “basic needs, generators, chainsaws, flashlights, water, food, roofing materials, drop cloths…” he told CNN. “But the end goal is to get the Islands back on their feet.”


buddy-heild-youtubeSacramento Kings star Buddy Hield pledged to donate $100,000 out of his own pocket to help Hurricane Dorian relief efforts and even started a GoFundMe campaign to “raise money for those who need so much.”


Religious groups and other nonprofits on the ground are cleaning up the island and caring for survivors.

Sample Social Media Updates

https://twitter.com/TeamRubicon/status/1172517240454995968:
Recovery from #HurricaneDorian will be a long and challenging task. With such widespread storm impacts, Team Rubicon is actively working to bring more resources and capabilities to bear for survivors in #TheBahamas.

https://twitter.com/WCKitchen/status/1172508096742264832
Mapping out our helicopter food drops on Abaco! Every day we collect information on the ground, adjust production and deliveries to match need, and make sure fresh meals get to where they are needed most — all because of your support. #ChefsForBahamas

https://www.facebook.com/StAugustineAnglicanChurch/videos/428918921396761/
On Sunday 29th September 2019, members of The Church of St. Augustine will be joining the other churches of the Diocese of Barbados to show tangible support for our brothers and sisters in The Bahamas who have been affected by the recent passage of Hurricane Dorian. We encourage everyone to give sacrificially. We invite you to enjoy the memories shared at St Augustine with Bahamian Seminarian Desirée Johnson on the Eighth Sunday After Epiphany/Harvest Celebration.