Hurricane Irma Relief Fund

More than two years after its landfall, the immense impacts of Hurricane Irma still linger across the U.S. Virgin Islands and the Southeastern states of the U.S. mainland. GlobalGiving’s nonprofit partners remain hard at work on the ground in affected communities. Here is a snapshot of recent updates from three organizations that your donations have supported:

• Patient Assist VI is committed to helping those with chronic illnesses in the U.S. Virgin Islands that continue to struggle because of the impacts of the 2017 hurricane season, especially as health and medical infrastructure on the islands goes through its own recovery process. In 2019, the organization was able to serve more patients through the provision of free or reduced price medications than it had at any time in the past and stay true to its founding principle: no person should have to choose between the medications they need to stay healthy and the food they need to stay alive.
  
  
• The Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands is serving as a catalyst for initiatives promoting environmental and marine recovery across the Caribbean. For example, on St. Thomas, the foundation will soon be concluding its Fruit Tree Restoration Project. This project has resulted in around 660 hours of volunteer labor, serving 33 farmers, and planting 440 fruit trees on St. Thomas. The fruit trees will help restore the local ecosystem and agriculture industry that was devastated during the 2017 hurricane season.
  
  
• The International Community Foundation is now more than halfway through its Barbuda Community Grants program that is focused on 12 community-led projects that continue to advance and strengthen the community of Barbuda. These projects include the reparation of critical water sources, youth engagement, food security, and small business support. For example, the BarbudanGO Water Harvesting Initiative is providing 400-gallon water tanks, spouting systems, and fittings to Barbudan households to increase their access to potable water.

Please stay tuned in the coming months for more updates about the ongoing impacts of your donation. From the entire team here at GlobalGiving, thank you for your extraordinary generosity.

With gratitude,

Chase + the GlobalGiving Team