Moore’s Island, Bahamas – September 12, 2019 – World Red Eye traveled to the Bahamas with Michael Capponi and Global Empowerment Mission (G.E.M.) and BStrong to assist those affected by Hurricane Dorian. Hurricane Dorian was the most powerful tropical cyclone on record to strike the Bahamas and is regarded as the worst natural disaster in the country’s history. On September 1, 2019, Dorian reached to a Category 5 intensity with maximum sustained winds of 185 mph. Aside from the estimated $7 billion dollars in damage from Dorian, The Bahamas needs your help to support the long road to recovery.

We visited Moore’s Island, which is a part of the Abaco chain in the Bahamas. Although the island didn’t suffer the brunt of the storm by Hurricane Dorian’s eye, the fishing community is still in need of major relief. With assistance from G.E.M. in partnership with Tropic Ocean Airways and Blue Tide Marine, a private company consisting of mostly high-level military specialists and former Navy Seals; all are collectively operating to assist NW Bahamas, specifically Abaco and Grand Bahamas to provide relief to the disaster areas.

G.E.M. currently has three warehouses accepting donations and volunteers in Miami and Weston at the following locations – GEM BSTRONG COMMUNITY Sacred Space Warehouse, GEM BSTRONG CENTRAL National Aid Warehouse , and BROWARD American Horse Trails Ranch. Click here to donate and learn more by visiting their website, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

By Marissa Scarpulla

Team’s Command Center at Tropic Ocean Airways

Global Empowerment Mission [G.E.M.] n is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides disaster relief in the United States and across the world. The near-term goal of the organization is to empower people struck with tragedy by delivering emergency aid, cash cards, food and housing. G.E.M. also provides quality education, diverse vocational training and job creation to people who need rebuilding following a disaster. The objective is for people in developing countries to have a self-sufficient and sustainable economy, ultimately eliminating their dependency on foreign aid. Their mission also supports personal growth programs as well as enlightening principals. By bringing these ideals to people around the globe, G.E.M. is fostering deeper, richer and more enduring intellectual connections, transformative experiences, awareness and social charity. Global Empowerment Mission is the official BStrong disaster relief charity.

G.E.M.’s 60,000 sq. ft. warehouse is currently receiving a minimum of 200 pallets per day through various partnerships. G.E.M. BStrong has contracted a 230 ft expedition vessel capable of holding 350 tons (700,00 lbs) with full loading capabilities and a small barge to enter the Abaco outlying islands. Their, Blue Tide Marine former Navy Seal teams are on the ground ensuring that all aid collected is properly distributed. G.E.M. will be delivering approximately 700 tons (1.4 million lbs.) of aid and building supplies per week with this initiative. To date, more than 250,000 pounds of aid have been distributed to more than 15 islands in the Grand Bahama and Abaco chain. So far, G.E.M. has sent 4-10 flights per day to the Bahamas that carried the aid and also allowing them to evacuate over 900 people. All of this was made possible thanks to their partnership with Tropic Ocean Airways, Delta and the Blue Tide Marine teams, who helped get these people to safer havens.

Since G.E.M.’s rescue phase, they have now evolved into implementing a sustainable long term rebuilding effort. Their plan is to empower some of the islands that were hit the hardest and are the most difficult to get to, so they can start rebuilding and have some sense of normalcy by Christmas. Additionally, they’re focusing on fixing schools in the outlying islands of the Abaco chain by supplying more than 2 million pounds of building supplies and aid.

The Sea Shepard

A G.E.M. board member, Ryan Weber had a long outstanding relationship with the Sea Shepherd. The Sea Shepherd, is the only international marine conservation organization using direct action and a fleet of ships to protect, conserve and defend marine wildlife. As a result, this partnership enabled G.E.M. to effectively be able to deliver aid to outlying Abaco islands with no access to areas that were inaccessible by plane.

Moore’s Island

Moore’s Island is one of the districts of the Bahamas, on the Abaco Islands. Moore’s Island is a cay, 28 miles to the west of the main island of Abaco. When arriving to the island, G.E.M. had little to no intel if any other organizations went to the island to assess the damage and provide relief to the area. As a result, G.E.M. went to Moore’s Island to assess and create a strategy.

The tiny fishing community, is home to 700 people and made room for 500 evacuees. Today, that number is growing daily. During Dorian, the island faced 100mph sustained wind and 3-4 foot storm surges all along the coast destroying the islands primary fishing dock. When we arrived, people on the island stated they only had about two days worth of water left. The trip to the island turned from a search and rescue to re-con mission as they’re currently trying to rebuild the dock.

We went to Moore’s Island to asses and create a strategy. Now this is being implemented and we will use Moore’s island as a staging area for the bringing in of supplies to the neighboring islands. We are aiming at getting the local school back up running by end of October.

Michael Capponi