Reflections on the Impact of Hurricane Dorian

Ways to offer meaningful support to those affected

(Photo by cnn.com)

As Hurricane Dorian moves north, now a Category 1 storm which threatens the Carolinas, our prayers and concerns accompany the devastation left in its wake. That includes the near total destruction of large areas of the Bahamas, leaving structures and lives destroyed as the Category 5 hurricane stalled over those islands with near 200-mph winds for a day and a half.

As our world is too often under the threat of natural disasters and human violence, we are reminded that these tragedies often impact the lives of our campus community as well. Dorian’s path through the Bahamas affected more than a dozen current students who call those islands home, with many other students who have friends and family in the path of Dorian as it continues on its northern path of destruction.

At moments like these, we often encourage each other to pray for and remember those who have been impacted by the disasters and tragedy of a world that so often finds cause to yearn deeply for God’s Kingdom. However, it is also important for us, as God’s children, to take direct action and offer meaningful support wherever possible.

Students in the Andrews community are organizing efforts to offer relief and recovery to the catastrophic impact on the Bahamas. We will share updates on those campus efforts as they are confirmed and let you know how you can help.

Find out more about relief activities and financial resources needed by the Adventist Disaster & Relief Agency (which was already on the ground in the Bahamas as the hurricane approached and is now working directly on relief efforts) here, or review other options where you can financially support relief agencies who are directly involved in Dorian relief efforts on the Charity Navigator website.