South Florida organization prepares to help islands devastated by Hurricane Beryl
MIAMI - Hurricane Beryl has already devastated some Caribbean islands and on Tuesday, leaders from those islands are reaching out for help.
Global Empowerment Mission (GEM), headquartered in Doral, is where they came together to talk about their individual needs.
For now, dry goods, tarp and generators top their list of what people need the most. They are leaning on the hearts of South Floridians to help.
Still, boxes are already being packed with beans, wipes, food and water. All ready to be shipped out heading where Hurricane Beryl just left.
Michael Capponi is the founder of Global Empowerment Mission and says, "There are a thousand rooves that are in Grenada that don't have any more shingles on them and we need tarps and so on right."
The need GEM is asking for comes in all forms. People can volunteer their time, their money or supplies.
Marlon Hill is with South Florida Caribbean Strong. He says, "$5 or $1,000. It's very important here at GEM. We're going to be open from 10 AM to 5 PM for the next week if you want to donate some time to help us send out some of these emergency kits here."
The need is great as islands like Grenada, Carricaou and Barbados have already been hit. Dianne Perrotte is the Consul General of Grenada. "Low flooding medium slides in Grenada. Carriacou, everything is leveled. No roof is standing. Basically, everything is gutted because once the roof goes everything fly's out the building."
Rudy Grant is the Consul General for Barbados. He adds, "We were told that there are about 40 houses so far that have been impacted in some significant way the expectation is that it's going to increase because when that assessment was done we had 400 people still in shelters across Barbados."
As Beryl churns, Jamaica is in her cone, relief is already being prepared for them too.
Oliver Mair, the Consul General for Jamaica sends this warning, "We certainly want it to move away from Jamaica, but in the interim, we're asking all Jamaicans here to tell the Jamaicans back home to prepare take all the necessary precautions, listen to all advisories let us be prepared as possible for whatever comes."
GEM Global Headquarters is located at 1850 NW 84th Ave., Suite 100, Doral, FL 33126, 1-800-995-7604
info@globalempowermentmission.org
Click here if you would like to donate to GEM.
