Jamaicans in

South Florida have reached out to Bahamian residents, who are still picking up

the pieces in the aftermath of Dorian, the Category 5 hurricane that destroyed

sections of the country in early September.

On September 14, a two-member delegation from the South Florida-based organization, FLOBAH (Florida Bahamas), visited Freeport in Grand Bahama with relief items which they distributed with the help of local agencies. FLOBAH is operated by the Godfrey Stewart High School Alumni Association (GSHSAA) that was represented by president Devon Dobson and treasurer Hope Grant.

They took clothing,

canned food, First Aid kits, toiletries, cleaning supplies and water for

affected residents, many of whom are Jamaicans. The Bahamas government

estimates that 50 persons died and hundreds were left homeless as a result of

Hurricane Dorian, with most of the damage done to Freeport and the island of

Abaco.

“We went to Freeport, Grand Bahama and visited many of the hardest-hit areas to offer donations to the residents there. One such area was Back-A-Town where residents are still in the process of drying out their storm-surge, ravaged homes,” Grant said. “Some took us into their homes to give us a first-hand glimpse of the three-to-four feet-high water marks still lingering on the walls.”