How Lakeland is supporting hurricane relief efforts

Screen Shot 2019-09-04 at 12.25.02 PM

Hurricane Dorian | Photo via National Weather Center

Table of Contents

Florida is definitely no stranger to hurricane seasonbut Dorian has especially kept us on our toes. While we aren’t sure exactly what the full extent of the storm’s impact will be overall (y’all it’s still moving – follow the current track here), there’s one thing we can be certain of – Lakelanders will be looking to lend a hand to those affected – especially in the Bahamas.

Here are just a few ways you can get involved. ⤵️

  • Provide direct support to the Bahamas with this locally created fundraiser. All donations go toward Team Rubicon, which unites the skills + experiences of military veterans with first responders to rapidly deploy emergency response teams.
  • Head to volunteer.florida/org/dorian to find ways to volunteer.
  • While they don’t have any space left for food donations, you can support the American Red Cross through a monetary donation or you can donate frequent flyer miles to help fly in shelter volunteers from other states.
  • Over 1,200 Airbnb hosts are providing free housing to residents + disaster relief workers in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina + Alabama through the Open Homes program. If you’re an Airbnb host, you can help by opening up your home to those who need housing through the program.
  • International Medical Corps are seeking donations that will help affected Bahamas residents with medical care, at the request of the Florida Department of Health.
  • SUN ‘n FUN will be accepting non-perishable donations for the Bahamas relief program. Please see their website for suggested items. They are working with other nonprofits to transport these items directly to the Bahamas.
  • The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Florida (including the Bahamas) will be delivering water filtration systems among other needed materials to the hardest-hit areas. Find more information at floridacbf.org.

#ProTip: Check organizations out through the Charity Navigator – a website which rates the efficiency of aid organizations.

Question

– LALtoday team (Jessica + Kaylee)

More from LALtoday
The Polk Senior Games will draw 2,000 competitors and 700 volunteers to this year’s events. Learn how you can compete, help, or cheer people on.
We’re digging through the Lakeland Public Library photo archives to relive winter memories from years gone by.
Several familiar names were nominated for Catapult’s biggest night of the year. See who won big at the Lakeland Entrepreneur Awards.
Bookmark this guide for a curated list of events taking place each month that we’re most looking forward to.
Did you get your hands on the popular Strawberry Season Passports before they sold out? If not, no worries — just follow along with our editor’s tasty travels.
The rest of the country is feeling the effects of Winter Storm Fern, but Central Florida won’t get off that easily. Stay up to date — and warm — with Lakeland’s top winter weather stories.
Born & Bread made the shortlist for the Outstanding Bakery category, becoming the first in the Lakeland area to be recognized by the prestigious James Beard Awards.
This Catapult member business has gone nationwide. Find out what happened when its owners appeared on “Shark Tank.”
Do you remember your first Lakeland concert? Did your favorite musician make a major impact? Share your concert memories with us for a chance to be featured.
What did Lakeland look like in 1926? We’re firing up the time machine for a 100-year trip to the past.