October 2022
After hurricane Ian made landfall on the west coast of Florida, we organized a hurricane relief drive for the victims of the natural disaster the week of October 3rd. We collected supplies from our swim and soccer teams, our neighborhoods, and several companies offering support. The items we collected included waters, non-perishable foods, medical supplies, hygiene products, and much more! We teamed up with the Global Empowerment Mission (GEM) and delivered the supplies to their warehouse in Miami FL once we completed the drive. Throughout the week we collected items, we sorted and boxed all supplies so they would be organized when delivered. Our team also had the opportunity to volunteer with GEM to organize supplies they received from others.
The Global Empowerment Mission is a nonprofit disaster relief organization. Their founder Michael Capponi stated, “Our main objectives are to deliver the most amount of aid, to the most amount of people in need, in the shortest amount of time and with the least amount of costs to our donors. This also applies to our rebuilding efforts.” In addition to having teams collect and organize supplies, GEM sent multiple trucks loaded with supplies from their warehouse to established distribution points on the west coast.
It is important to promote and bring attention to organizations supporting relief efforts as those impacted are greatly in need of assistance and count on others for support. When you are not directly affected, it can be easy to lose sight of the challenges and struggles others are facing. Following hurricane Ian, many people were in need of assistance on the west coast and GEM is doing tremendous work by sending much needed supplies. The west coast’s rebuilding efforts will take quite some time and will require everyone to come together as a community to provide ongoing support. I’m so thankful for everyone that donated and supported our relief drive. I’m amazed by the amount of supplies we were able to collect. I’m also thankful I had the opportunity to work with GEM and learn more about their mission.
For more information about GEM and how you can help, please visit the link below.
~Sam
October, 2022
We realized something had to be done to provide aid when we saw the devastation caused by hurricane Ian and the lives it had impacted. We were trying to determine how we could help the residents of the affected areas. This is where the idea for a relief effort first emerged. We sought to raise awareness of the issue. We made posters and shared our plans through social media and our relationships. We started collecting contributions from numerous people, including friends, neighbors, and businesses. Over the collection week, we received a substantial number of donations. The donations were given to the Global Empowerment Movement (GEM), which delivers them to impacted areas.
~Evan
October, 2022
As a Floridian, hurricanes are a natural part of our lives. At the beginning of each hurricane season, we purchase our supplies, water, canned foods, batteries, etc. We track the tropics hoping that a storm won't come our way, but as much as we get ready, we cannot always be prepared for the destruction hurricanes can cause.
Watching the footage of Hurricane Ian’s strike on the West Coast of Florida was frightening. While we were thankful here in Miami to be spared, we knew that others were not as fortunate. We knew something needed to be done to help. After discussing different ideas of how we could help, we finally decided to have a relief drive to collect supplies to send for distribution to the people affected by the storm.
I worked with my swim coach to set up and collect at our pool. I also had a lot of help from my grandmother to collect at her office. I am so grateful to my teammates, my grandmother’s company and her coworkers for their amazing support and generous contributions to the relief drive. We collected cleaning supplies, personal hygiene items, food, water, baby essentials, first- aid supplies, and toys.
After a week, it was time to deliver all the supplies we had collected to the Global Empowerment Mission. GEM works to distribute much needed help to areas that have been affected by natural disasters. After unloading we volunteered in the warehouse organizing medical supplies to be deployed later that day.
I am very thankful to everyone that supported this effort and am hopeful that we were able to bring some comfort to those in need.
~Gioia
October, 2022
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