Students, faculty and various members of the Hofstra community are rallying together to provide supplies and support to the Bahamian victims of Hurricane Dorian.

In light of the devastation, the Office of Student Advocacy and Prevention Awareness has been working with the consulate general of the Bahamas to collect essential toiletries, non-perishable food, flashlights, batteries and other supplies. Bins are located in the Sondra and David S. Mack Student Center in the hallway behind Starbucks.

“We are working with the consulate general in the Bahamas to ensure supplies will be delivered to those persons and communities that need it most,” said Zaibis Muñoz, assistant dean of students and director of Student Advocacy and Prevention Awareness. “Through some research, I was able to get in contact with the New York City U.S. Bahamian Consulate Office to establish a connection and gather information about the collection efforts.”

Other organizations are also getting involved on campus by gathering supplies and spreading the word to encourage student participation. “This was a very important issue to me, especially since I have family in the Islands,” said Ahjané Forbes, a junior journalism major. Forbes serves as president of Hofstra’s Collegiate Women of Color, which organized their own drive called Backpacks for the Bahamas at the suggestion of Imani Thompson. “When the University noticed we were being an #huworldchanger, they told us about their drive, started by Student Affairs, and the opportunity to combine resources,” Forbes said.

“I have family in Nassau, Freeport and Long Island/Thompson Bay, Bahamas, and thankfully they’re all safe, but in other parts they aren’t doing as well at all,” said Thompson, a junior public advocacy major. “As soon as I saw that the hurricane was hitting the Islands, I knew that it would take years to even somewhat recover. We’re directing donations to the Thompson Family Foundation, which is run by Klay, Mychal and Mychel Thompson and based in the Bahamas; the Bahamas Consulate, and other organizations the people in the Bahamas have requested donations to be directed to,” Thompson said.

Hurricane Dorian, labeled a Category 5 storm, hit the Bahamas in early September, leaving at least 50 people dead and thousands homeless. The death toll from the slow-moving storm is expected to rise as time passes.

Aside from donating, Muñoz encourages students looking to get involved to simply keep the conversation going so “it doesn’t become yesterday’s news.”

While the donation drive is just one step, the University is currently working to expand volunteer efforts throughout the academic year. “We are focusing our efforts on collecting as many items as possible during the month of September, but the collection box in the Student Center will remain throughout the year,” Muñoz said.

Muñoz wants students to understand that the area is still in great danger. “Hurricane season is not over until Nov. 15. The Bahamas areas that were devastated will continue to have storms through the remainder of the season that can impact the relief efforts,” Muñoz said.  

“Seeing reports about the damage and devastation can be overwhelming, but volunteering and participating in relief efforts is a great way to have impact. Students can and do make a difference.”

Muñoz added that many locations are also looking for volunteers to sort and package donations to be shipped to the Bahamas. “Volunteering your time is a low-cost, big-impact way to provide support to those in need and if any students are interested in doing that, our office can help connect them with organizations working on the relief effort.”