We have sent $23,000 for emergency needs, made available by generous donors, to help with disaster relief for members in The Bahamas and we are standing by for additional requests. We wish to express our sincere appreciation to the GCI congregations and members who have donated to the GCI Disaster Relief Fund, so together, we can assist those in need.
The following is an update from Robert McKinney, National Director, on our members in The Bahamas, following the devastation of Hurricane Dorian.
We would like to thank you for your prayers and overwhelming show of support and love during this very difficult time. I visited Grand Bahama Island two days ago and met with our pastor, Calvin Parker and a number of our members.The devastation on the island is unbelievable. About 50% of our members suffered either a major roof or flooding damage.
Miraculously, a number of our members were not impacted by the hurricane. Pastor Parker has begun to distribute funds, food and supplies to members, and they are beginning to put the pieces together again. I plan to visit Abaco next week. Our members there were harder hit than those on Grand Bahama. Most remain displaced, some living with family members, while others have moved to Nassau and have had to find housing here. We have begun to assist these members with housing, funds, food, clothing and other needs as well.
I am in the process of organizing a work crew with Pastor Charles Taylor of our Miami church to go to Abaco to help with damage to our church building and members’ homes there sometime next month. Thanks again for all the love, prayers, moral and financial support. It’s still a long road ahead for some of our members, but we know that God is with us, and your loving support reassures us that we are all in this together.
Robert McKinney, Nassau, Bahamas
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GCI Disaster Relief Fund
If your congregation has a heart to help members impacted by major disasters like the one in The Bahamas, consider donating to the GCI Disaster Relief Fund. The Fund helps provide members in disaster areas with emergency needs such as food, water, medicine, clothing, temporary housing, home and/or church hall repairs, temporary local pastoral salary expenses and other emergency needs. Monies received into the Fund that are not immediately needed will remain in the Fund to be allocated in future disasters. In previous years, money from this Fund has been used to help members recover from Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, storms and flooding in Bangladesh, an earthquake and tsunami in the Solomon Islands, typhoons in the Philippines and an earthquake in Haiti.
If your congregation would like to donate out of local church funds, you may do so at www.gci.org/go/chdonate
Individuals who wish to donate may do so at www.gci.org/disasterrelief
If your congregation prefers to send a check, make it out to Grace Communion International, indicating on the memo line that the donation is for the GCI Disaster Relief Fund. Send the donation to:
GCI Disaster Relief Fund
Grace Communion International
3120 Whitehall Park Dr.
Charlotte, NC 28273
Thanks much for the Update! The Bahamians will remain in our thoughts and prayers.
Thankful to hear of the good, bad and ugly that happened to the nation, island, and members. With support from human leaders and our Father, all of the best and worst of it will work together for good. Thanks everyone who responds to our brethren in the Bahamas.