Link to this page: https://goo.gl/TbGufe

Primary author: Sara Smollett <ssmollett@gmail.com>

Date: 2017-09-06 

Last updated: 2017-10-14

Charities and relief efforts in the USVI and other Caribbean islands following Hurricanes Irma and Maria (Irmaria)

Multi-island/international

US Virgin Islands* (St Thomas, St John, St Croix, Water Island) [US]

British Virgin Islands* (Tortola, Virgin Gorda, Jost Van Dyke, Anegada, etc) [Br]

Puerto Rico* (including Culebra and Vieques) [US] (not all vetted)

Other islands (not all vetted)

Multi-island/international

• You may wish to check Charity Navigator for these orgs.
• General

• Catholic Relief Services/Caritas is responding on multiple islands (potentially BVI, Cuba, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Dominica) - donate here for Irma and Maria. (501c3)
• World Food Programme fights hunger, including in response to Hurricane Irma (potentially Haiti, Antigua and Barbuda, St. Martin, Turks and Caicos Islands) - donate here.
• Global Giving, a global crowdfunding community, has a campaign responding to Hurricanes Maria and Irma on multiple islands (potentially Puerto Rico, Cuba, Haiti, USVI, BVI, Sint Maarten, Antigua and Barbuda) - donate here.
• One America Appeal is a hurricane recovery fund set up by the 5 living former US Presidents (Puerto Rico, USVI) - donate here - specify “Only Maria”. (501c3)
• Convoy of Hope is responding in Florida and on multiple islands (potentially BVI, Turks and Caicos Islands) - donate here for Irma. (501c3)
• UNICEF has an appeal for children impacted by Irma and other disasters - donate here for Irma. (501c3)
• American Red Cross - donate here - earmark for “Hurricane Irma” (US mainland + Caribbean) or “Hurricane Maria” (Puerto Rico, USVI, Dominica) (501c3)
• United Way - donate here for Irma and Maria (US mainland + Caribbean). (501c3)

• Communications and technology

• NetHope helps to assess and restore communications network connectivity, including on several islands - donate here. (501c3)
• ITDRC provides technical resources to communities, including in the Caribbean, after disasters - donate here. (501c3)
• Help.NGO (Global DIRT) assists with communications, as well as search and rescue and medical response - donate here. (501c3)
• Humanitarian OpenStreetMap helps with collaborative mapping projects, including response to Hurricanes Irma and Maria - donate here. (501c3)
• Storm Carib, is a Caribbean community-oriented hurricane tracking site - donate here.

• Lists of more charities (not vetted)

• Storm Carib has a thread with suggestions for places to donate.
• gofundme lists many campaigns - donate here.

US Virgin Islands* (St Thomas, St John, St Croix, Water Island) [US]

• Local hurricane recovery drives

• USVI recovery is accepting donations via Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands (facebook page) - donate here.  (501c3)
• Caribbean Sea Adventures of St. Croix is collecting money to purchase water, food, tarps and other essential supplies that they will ferry over to St. Thomas and St. John (post-Irma/pre-Maria). This is one of the fastest ways to get resources in - donate here.
• Basketball player and native Crucian Tim Duncan wrote an excellent appeal for his 21 US Virgin Island Hurricane Help fund which has brought in multiple loads of food and other relief supplies (press) - donate here.
• Country singer and St. John resident Kenny Chesney is also raising money for his Love for Love City Foundation.
• Virgin Islands ASAP Relief Group are flying private planes and helicopters with supplies - donate here.

• Local non-profits, by island

• St. Thomas (and also some other islands)

• My Brother’s Workshop Cafe & Bakery, a local non-profit supporting at-risk youth, is making meals for people in need on St. Thomas and now St. Croix (facebook page and also here) (press) - donate here or here. (501c3)
• The Virgin Islands Children’s Museum on St. Thomas is providing trauma bags for children (facebook page) - donate here.
• Family Resource Center of St. Thomas provides support and shelter for victims of domestic abuse year-round and is coordinating relief efforts (facebook page) - donate here. (501c3)
• Disability Rights Center of the VI is part of a coalition addressing the special needs of disabled people post-hurricane - donate here (501c3).
• Friends of the Virgin Islands Public Libraries support the libraries and promote reading. Donate via http://cfvi.net/donate/donate-fund.php, with a comment of “VI Public Libraries”. (501c3)

• St. John

• St. John Rescue Inc. supports St. John, which was hit very hard in Irma (facebook page) - donate here. (501c3)
• St. John Community Foundation also supports the St. John community (facebook page) - donate here. (501c3)
• Friends of the Virgin Islands National Park supports cultural preservation and natural resource protection for the National Park, which includes most of St. John and offshore areas - donate here. (501c3)
• Coral Bay Community Council supports the Coral Bay St. John community and ecosystem - donate here. (501c3)

• St. Croix

• Frederiksted Health Care (FHC) provides health care on St. Croix. (501c3)
• Women’s Coalition of St. Croix also supports victims of domestic abuse - donate here. (501c3)
• St. Croix Foundation supports the St. Croix community (facebook page) - donate here. (501c3)

• Donate supplies directly

• Adopt a Family matches you with a family in need that you will send a personalized care package to.
• Virgin Islanders in California has an Amazon wishlist.

• Local chapters of global non-profits

Note: If you donate online, it’s hard to guarantee that your donation to any of these organizations will be used in the VI. Also, check Charity Navigator for these orgs.

• American Red Cross of the Virgin Islands - donate here with a comment to donate to the Virgin Islands. (501c3)
• United Way of the Virgin Islands supports education, income, and health - donate here. (501c3)
• The VI Salvation Army is distributing clothing (facebook page) - donate here. (501c3)
• Lutheran Social Services of the VI provides child care, senior care, and disaster relief - donate here. (501c3)
• Catholic Charities of the VI - earmark donations for the Virgin Islands. (501c3)
• Humane Society of St. Thomas supports the island’s pet/animal community, including pets abandoned after the storm. (501c3)

• Lists of more charities and donation drives (not all vetted)

• https://www.facebook.com/groups/vistrongdisasterrelief/
• https://www.vistrongrelief.com
• http://usvi.co
• https://www.whattodo-vi.com/hurricane-irma-relief-in-the-virgin-islands-how-you-can-help/ 
• https://greatnonprofits.org/state/Virgin%20Islands 

British Virgin Islands* (Tortola, Virgin Gorda, Jost Van Dyke, Anegada, etc) [Br]

• BVI Irma Relief has vetted several ways to help - donate here.
• BVI Recovery Fund is the BVI government fund for rebuilding the territory and helping residents.
• Richard Branson, who owns Necker Island, is supporting the BVI, primarily Virgin Gorda, through donations to Virgin Unite. (501c3)
• Jost Van Dyke Preservation Society is supporting the island of Jost Van Dyke - donate here. (501c3)
• Rebuild VG is shipping building materials to Virgin Gorda - donate here. (501c3)
• British Red Cross Hurricane Irma appeal - earmark for Hurricane Irma
• BVI Family and Friends NY is accepting supplies.

Puerto Rico* (including Culebra and Vieques) [US] (not all vetted)

• PR real-time relief fund started by ConPRmetidos non-profit.
• Maria Fund
• Unidos por Puerto Rico
• Save the Children
• Hispanic Federation, donate directly here with designation “Puerto Rico Hurricane Relief”
• American Red Cross of Puerto Rico, donate directly here with a comment to donate to the Puerto Rico chapter.
• UNICEF, donate directly here.
• ViequesLove
• Friends of Culebra Animals

Other islands (not all vetted)

• See also the “Multi-island/international” section above
• Dominica*

• Dominica Hurricane Maria Relief Fund
• Canada for Dominica
• The Resource Foundation’s Dominica disaster relief

• Barbuda* [Antigua & Barbuda]

• Halo Foundation Barbuda relief
• Antigua and Barbuda Red Cross
• CDEMA - donate here

• Sint Maarten*, Saba* and Sint Eustatius* [Ne]

• Dutch Red Cross Hurricane Irma appeal - earmark for Hurricane Irma

• St Martin* and St Barths* [Fr]

• French Red Cross Hurricane Irma appeal - earmark for Hurricane Irma

• Anguilla* [Br]

• Blanchards Restaurant has a hurricane relief fund - donate here.
• British Red Cross Hurricane Irma appeal - earmark for Hurricane Irma
• CDEMA - donate here

• Dominican Republic* / Haiti* (two countries)

• Oxfam - donate here

• Turks and Caicos Islands* [Br]

• British Red Cross Hurricane Irma appeal - earmark for Hurricane Irma
• CDEMA - donate here

• The Bahamas*

• Bahamas Red Cross
• CDEMA - donate here

• Cuba*

• [suggestions welcome]

PS. Here’s some local Virgin Islands news from just after Irma.

PPS Who am I? I’m a Virgin Islander (St Thomian) living in California. I survived both Hurricane Hugo and Hurricane Marilyn, so I know what it is like to go through hurricanes and their aftermath.